List three brush border enzymes and state their overall function.

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Multiple Choice

List three brush border enzymes and state their overall function.

Final digestion of carbohydrates happens at the surface of the intestinal lining, where membrane-bound enzymes on the microvilli, called brush border enzymes, finish breaking down sugars into absorbable forms. The trio maltase, sucrase, and lactase are classic examples of these enzymes. Each one acts on a specific disaccharide to release simple monosaccharides that can be taken up by enterocytes: maltase splits maltose into two glucose molecules, sucrase splits sucrose into glucose and fructose, and lactase splits lactose into glucose and galactose. Once these monosaccharides are produced, they’re transported into the intestinal cells and then into the bloodstream for use or storage. This set is the best choice because their primary role is the final breakdown of the common dietary disaccharides into monosaccharides, which is the key step needed for carbohydrate absorption. A is off because it lists enzymes that are not brush border disaccharidases and digest fats or proteins rather than carbohydrates. While another option lists similar enzymes, the essential point to capture is that these brush border enzymes convert disaccharides into monosaccharides for absorption.

Final digestion of carbohydrates happens at the surface of the intestinal lining, where membrane-bound enzymes on the microvilli, called brush border enzymes, finish breaking down sugars into absorbable forms. The trio maltase, sucrase, and lactase are classic examples of these enzymes. Each one acts on a specific disaccharide to release simple monosaccharides that can be taken up by enterocytes: maltase splits maltose into two glucose molecules, sucrase splits sucrose into glucose and fructose, and lactase splits lactose into glucose and galactose. Once these monosaccharides are produced, they’re transported into the intestinal cells and then into the bloodstream for use or storage.

This set is the best choice because their primary role is the final breakdown of the common dietary disaccharides into monosaccharides, which is the key step needed for carbohydrate absorption. A is off because it lists enzymes that are not brush border disaccharidases and digest fats or proteins rather than carbohydrates. While another option lists similar enzymes, the essential point to capture is that these brush border enzymes convert disaccharides into monosaccharides for absorption.

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