I-disaccharide (ebizwa nangokuthi ushukela ophindwe kabili noma i-biose) ushukela owakhiwa lapho ama-monosaccharides amabili ehlanganiswa nokuxhumana kwe-glycosidic. Njengama-monosaccharides, ama-disaccharides amashukela alula ancibilika emanzini. Izibonelo ezintathu ezivamile yi-sucrose, i-lactose, ne-maltose. Ama-disaccharides angenye yamaqoqo amane amakhemikhali ama-carbohydrate (ama-monosaccharides, ama-disaccharides, ama-oligosaccharides, nama-polysaccharides). Izinhlobo ezivame kakhulu zama-disaccharides — i-sucrose, i-lactose, ne-maltose — zinama-athomu ayi-12 ekhabhoni, anefomula ejwayelekile C12H22O11. Umehluko kulawa ma-disaccharides ungenxa yokuhlelwa kwe-athomu ngaphakathi kwe-molecule. Ukuhlanganiswa kwama-monosaccharides kushukela ophindwe kabili kwenzeka ngokusabela kwe-condensation, okubandakanya ukususwa kwe-molecule yamanzi emaqenjini asebenzayo kuphela. Ukuhlukanisa ushukela ophindwe kabili kuma-monosaccharides awo amabili kwenziwa nge-hydrolysis ngosizo lohlobo lwe-enzyme ebizwa nge-disaccharidase. Njengoba ukwakha ushukela omkhulu kukhipha i-molecule yamanzi, ukuyiqeda kudla i-molecule yamanzi. Lokhu kusabela kubalulekile emzimbeni. I-disaccharide ngayinye idiliziwe ngosizo lwe-disaccharidase ehambisanayo (i-sucrase, i-lactase, ne-maltase).molecule.