Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Sucrase
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Also called:
Invertase
Related Topics:
sugar
Hydrolase
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Sucrase

enzyme
Also known as: invertase, saccharase
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Sucrase, any member of a group of enzymes present in yeast and in the intestinal mucosa of animals that catalyze the hydrolysis of cane sugar, or sucrose, to the simple sugars glucose and fructose.

Granules of sucrase localize in the brush border (a chemical barrier through which food is absorbed) that coats the intestinal villi. If sucrase is absent from the body there is intolerance to sucrose, and other sugars (maltose or lactose) must be substituted for sucrose in the diet to provide adequate nutrition.