lactose
Biochemistry. a disaccharide, C12H22O11, present in milk, that upon hydrolysis yields glucose and galactose.
a white, crystalline, sweet, water-soluble commercial form of this compound, obtained from whey and used in infant feedings, in confections and other foods, in bacteriological media, and in pharmacology as a diluent and excipient.
Origin of lactose
1- Also called milk sugar, sugar of milk.
Words Nearby lactose
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lactose in a sentence
Bloating, gas, and other purported signs of lactose intolerance are less common than people think.
Ancient milk-drinkers were just fine with their lactose intolerance–until famine struck | Philip Kiefer | July 28, 2022 | Popular-ScienceThose uncomfortable reactions were too mild to move the evolutionary needle toward lactose tolerance on their own, Evershed’s group says.
Famine and disease may have driven ancient Europeans’ lactose tolerance | Bruce Bower | July 27, 2022 | Science NewsDespite the fact that 68% of the world’s population has trouble digesting lactose, a naturally occurring milk sugar, global demand is surging.
The cow-free version also has less fat and sugar, with no cholesterol or lactose.
This ‘Cow-Free Milk’ Has Real Dairy Protein, but No Lactose or Cholesterol | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | March 2, 2022 | Singularity HubOatly has been around since 1994, when Swedish food scientist Rickard Öste developed the dairy substitute while researching lactose intolerance at Lund University.
Oatly’s offbeat marketing turned boring alt-milk into a $10-billion business | Sarah Todd | April 10, 2021 | Quartz
Besides being an important part of milk itself, lactose is a valuable by-product in the manufacture of cheese.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 2 | Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and SciencesMembers of this group uniformly ferment the lactose with the production of the gases, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
The Book of Cheese | Charles Thom and Walter Warner FiskIt seems that the tendency is toward an increase of lactic acid in the cheese long after the lactose has disappeared.
The Book of Cheese | Charles Thom and Walter Warner FiskHowever, these acids were found in increasing amounts during the ripening process and after the lactose had disappeared.
The Book of Cheese | Charles Thom and Walter Warner FiskWeigh out: lactose 10 grammes and dissolve in the fluid agar.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry Eyre
British Dictionary definitions for lactose
/ (ˈlæktəʊs, -təʊz) /
a white crystalline disaccharide occurring in milk and used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and baby foods. Formula: C 12 H 22 O 11: Also called: milk sugar
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for lactose
[ lăk′tōs′ ]
A white crystalline disaccharide consisting of a glucose and a galactose molecule, found in milk and used in the manufacture of various other foods. Chemical formula: C12H22O11.
The inability to digest lactose properly is called lactose intolerance. It is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase and marked by abdominal cramping and other symptoms after ingesting lactose.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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