Lactase

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialized enzyme that aids in the digestion of lactose by breaking it down into glucose and galactose for absorption
2. This biological catalyst promotes the hydrolysis of lactose into its constituent sugars, glucose and galactose
3. An enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of lactose into simpler sugars like glucose and galactose

Etymology: Lactase is a plain technical coinage, built from "lacto-", from Latin "lac" (milk), and the suffix "-ase", the standard label for enzymes. The name follows the pattern of other enzymes named for the substance they act on, so it describes its job directly: an enzyme that works on milk sugar. The important point is that lactose, the sugar it breaks down, is split into glucose and galactose, two simpler sugars the body can absorb. Because the enzyme does this job, the name tells you what it is for without needing any further explanation.