maltase

A student observes the action of maltase on a sugar solution in a biology lab.

Definition

1. Noun (Biochemistry):
   • An enzyme: "maltase" is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose into two molecules of glucose. It is produced in the small intestine and plays a key role in the digestion of starch-derived sugars.

Usage Examples

• (Maltase facilitates the digestion of maltose.)
• (Lack of maltase impairs maltose digestion.)

Advanced Usage

• "maltase activity": the rate at which maltase catalyzes the conversion of maltose to glucose.
  • Researchers measured maltase activity in the intestinal lining of the test subjects. (They quantified the enzyme's function.)
• "maltase-glucoamylase complex": a group of enzymes in the small intestine that includes maltase and helps digest carbohydrates.
  • The maltase-glucoamylase complex is essential for breaking down complex starches. (This complex includes maltase and related enzymes.)

Variants and Related Words

• Malt (n): a germinated cereal grain used in brewing and distilling, which contains maltose.
  • Barley malt is a common source of maltose for maltase to act upon. (Malt provides the substrate for maltase.)
• Maltose (n): a disaccharide sugar composed of two glucose molecules, the substrate for maltase.
  • Maltose is formed during the digestion of starch and is then cleaved by maltase. (Maltose is the target of maltase.)

Synonyms

• α-glucosidase: another name for maltase (specifically, an enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,4 glycosidic bonds).
  • Maltase is also classified as an α-glucosidase. (The terms are often used interchangeably in biochemistry.)

Related Idioms

• None common. "Maltase" is a technical term with no idiomatic usage in everyday English.