Final answer:
Maltase in the villi of the small intestine breaks down maltose into glucose.
Step-by-step explanation:
Maltase plays an important role in the villi of the small intestine. It is an enzyme that breaks down maltose, a disaccharide, into glucose, a monosaccharide. This process occurs in the brush border of the small intestinal wall, where maltase is present alongside other enzymes like sucrase and lactase, which break down other disaccharides.