Question

After Maria drinks a tall glass of milk, her abdomen feels uncomfortable and she has diarrhea and flatulence. Maria has noticed three things about her problem. 1. She has the same symptoms after she drinks milk that has had the fat removed. 2. She does not have these symptoms if she drinks milk that has had the sugar lactose removed. 3. She also does not have these symptoms if she takes a pill that contains the enzyme lactase when she drinks a glass of whole milk. What do you think is the cause of Maria’s symptoms? *

Answer 1

Answer:

Lactose intolerance

Explanation:

Answer 2

This condition is called lactose intolerance

Explanation:

• lactose is a disaccharide which is composed of glucose and galactose. Milk contain lactose in a significant amount therefore lactose is called milk sugar.
• lactase enzyme breaks the glycosidic bond between glucose and galactose and thus helps in digestion of  lactose
• if a person lack lactase, undigested lactose moves into the colon without being processed and absorbed.
• residential flora in colon then act on lactose and then responsible for producing the symptom like flatulence and diarrhea.
• so, by removing the fat, the problem of lactose intolerance cannot be eliminated but by removing the milk from diet or taking lactase enzyme in form of pill externally can eliminate the problem of lactose intolerance.