BIOMOLECULES AND ENZYMES

Detailed explanation-1: -Galactose (/ɡəˈlæktoʊs/, galacto-+-ose, “milk sugar"), sometimes abbreviated Gal, is a monosaccharide sugar that is about as sweet as glucose, and about 65% as sweet as sucrose. It is an aldohexose and a C-4 epimer of glucose. A galactose molecule linked with a glucose molecule forms a lactose molecule.

Detailed explanation-2: -Lactose, often called milk sugar (Latin, lac, milk), is a disaccharide found in the milk of many mammals, including humans and cows.

Detailed explanation-3: -The bond formed between glucose and galactose monosaccharides to produce the disaccharide lactose is a -1, 4-glycosidic bond. This bond is formed between C1 of galactose and C4 of glucose, and it happens as a reduction process.

Detailed explanation-4: -The major dietary source of galactose is lactose, a disaccharide formed from one molecule of glucose plus one of galactose. Lactose is found only in milk; after weaning, significant quantities of dietary lactose are found only in dairy products (Table 1).

Detailed explanation-5: -Milk sugar is composed of glucose and galactose. Galactose is less suitable as an energy source than glucose. Thus, it has been a puzzle as to why mammals utilize galactose as a major component of milk sugar.