Tag: Lactose formula

Over 90% of sucrose, or table sugar, is composed of the disaccharide known as sucrose. The simple and uniform structure of carbohydrates, including the specific formula for a disaccharide, is fundamental to how these energy-rich molecules function in biology. This formula, while simple, arises from a crucial chemical process.

Lactose, the primary carbohydrate found in milk, typically makes up about 2–8% of milk by mass. This disaccharide is composed of two simpler sugar units, and understanding its chemical formula is key to comprehending its role in both nutrition and human digestion.

Approximately 87% of cow's milk is water, a fact that highlights its nature as a complex mixture rather than a single chemical compound with a uniform formula. The query, "What is the chemical formula for milk and sugar?", requires distinguishing between the mixture of milk and the specific formula for its primary carbohydrate, milk sugar, known as lactose.