Lactose is a

Options

A. Trisaccharide
B. Monosaccharide
C. Disaccharide
D. Tetrasaccharide

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Carbohydrates**: Carbohydrates are classified into two main categories: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates can be further divided into monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides.

2. **Defining Oligosaccharides**: Oligosaccharides consist of 2 to 9 monosaccharide units. When there are specifically two monosaccharide units linked together, they are classified as disaccharides.

3. **Identifying Disaccharides**: The three most common disaccharides are:
- **Sucrose**: Composed of one glucose and one fructose molecule.
- **Lactose**: Composed of one glucose and one galactose molecule.
- **Maltose**: Composed of two glucose molecules.

4. **Conclusion on Lactose**: Since lactose is formed by the combination of one glucose molecule and one galactose molecule, it qualifies as a disaccharide.

5. **Final Answer**: Therefore, the correct classification of lactose is that it is a disaccharide.

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