Tag: Galactose metabolism

Galactose is a monosaccharide found in milk and dairy products as part of the disaccharide lactose. Following digestion, this simple sugar undergoes a complex metabolic process primarily within the liver to be converted into a usable energy source or stored for later use. A defective metabolic process for galactose can lead to severe health issues.

The human body requires a specific enzymatic pathway to process the sugar galactose, and when this system fails, it can lead to a serious genetic disorder called galactosemia. So, what breaks down galactose and what are the crucial steps involved in its metabolism?