Which enzyme is responsible for breaking down sucrose into individual fructose and glucose molecules?

The enzyme responsible for breaking down sucrose into individual fructose and glucose molecules is sucrase. Sucrase, also known as invertase, specifically catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose, which is a disaccharide composed of one glucose and one fructose unit. When sucrose is digested, sucrase cleaves it into its constituent monosaccharides, allowing for their subsequent absorption in the intestine.

Understanding the role of sucrase is crucial in nutrition, as it highlights the digestive processes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. This is particularly relevant when discussing dietary sugars and how they are utilized by the body. In contrast, amylase breaks down starches into smaller carbohydrate molecules, maltase specifically hydrolyzes maltose into glucose units, and lactase is responsible for digesting lactose into glucose and galactose. Each of these enzymes has a distinct substrate they act upon, which underscores the specificity of enzymatic reactions in digestion.