Step 1: Understand what lactose is.
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar (glucose + galactose) found primarily in milk and dairy products. It is often referred to as "milk sugar."
Step 2: Compare lactose content in different types of milk.
The approximate lactose content in various milk sources:
- Human milk: 6.5% - 7.0% (highest among mammals)
- Cow milk: 4.5% - 5.0%
- Buffalo milk: 4.5% - 5.0%
- Camel milk: 4.0% - 4.5%
- Goat milk: 4.0% - 4.5%
- Sheep milk: 4.5% - 5.0%
Step 3: Analysis of each option.
- (A) Human milk: Correct.} Human milk contains the highest lactose content (around 7%) compared to other mammals. This provides energy for rapid brain development in infants.
- (B) Cow milk: Incorrect. Cow milk contains about 4.8% lactose, which is lower than human milk.
- (C) Buffalo milk: Incorrect. Buffalo milk contains about 4.8% lactose, similar to cow milk.
- (D) Camel milk: Incorrect. Camel milk contains about 4.4% lactose, which is lower than cow and buffalo milk.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Human milk has the highest lactose content among all mammals, typically ranging from 6.5% to 7.0%. This high lactose content is essential for infant nutrition and development.
Final Answer:} (A) Human milk