Lactose facts for kids

Lactose diagram

Lactose is a disaccharide that consists of galactose and glucose molecules. Lactose makes up around 2-8% of the solids in milk. The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars. Lactose is found in milk products.

Digestion of lactose

Infant mammals are fed on by milk from their mothers. To digest it an enzyme called lactase cleaves the lactose into its two subunits glucose and galactose for absorption.

Images for kids

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  The molecular structure of α-lactose, as determined by X-ray crystallography.

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  Lactose crystals, viewed under polarized light

See also

In Spanish: Lactosa para niños