Maltose (a disaccharide) is converted into the monosaccharide by the enzyme

Options

A. Invertase
B. Maltase
C. Zymase
D. Diastase

Answer

To solve the question regarding the enzyme that converts maltose (a disaccharide) into monosaccharides, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Maltose**:
- Maltose is a disaccharide, which means it is made up of two monosaccharide units. In the case of maltose, these units are glucose molecules.
- Chemical formula for maltose: C12H22O11.

**Hint**: Recall that disaccharides are formed from two monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds.

2. **Hydrolysis of Disaccharides**:
- Disaccharides like maltose can be broken down into their constituent monosaccharides through a process called hydrolysis.
- Hydrolysis involves the addition of water to break the glycosidic bond between the monosaccharides.

**Hint**: Hydrolysis is a common reaction for breaking down complex sugars into simpler sugars.

3. **Role of Enzymes**:
- Enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of disaccharides are known as disaccharidases.
- Specific enzymes are responsible for breaking down specific disaccharides. For maltose, the relevant enzyme is maltase.

**Hint**: Remember that each disaccharide has a specific enzyme that catalyzes its hydrolysis.

4. **Identifying the Correct Enzyme**:
- Among the options given:
- Invertase: breaks down sucrose.
- Maltase: breaks down maltose into glucose.
- Zymase: involved in fermentation processes.
- Diastase: a term that can refer to a group of enzymes that includes maltase.
- The enzyme specifically responsible for converting maltose into its monosaccharide components (glucose) is maltase.

**Hint**: Look for the enzyme that specifically acts on maltose in the options provided.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the correct answer to the question is **maltase**, which is the enzyme that hydrolyzes maltose into glucose.

**Final Answer**: Option 2: Maltase.