Which of the Following is True Regarding Lactose Intolerance

Question

Which of the following is true regarding lactose intolerance?
A) The stomach produces inadequate amounts of lactase.
B) Lactose-intolerant infants cannot digest dairy fat and are at risk of starvation.
C) The person cannot digest any type of monosaccharide.
D) The intestinal crypts are not producing the enzyme lactase.
E) The enzyme maltase begins to digest lactose.

Accepted Answer

Lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestine does not produce enough of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and dairy products. The enzyme lactase is produced in the lining of the small intestine, not the stomach or by intestinal crypts. Therefore, the correct statement is that the intestinal crypts are not producing the enzyme lactase. Other options are incorrect because lactose intolerance specifically involves the digestion of lactose, not all monosaccharides or dairy fat, and lactase, not maltase, is the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose.