Carbohydrates made of one basic sugar unit are called?

Carbohydrates made of one basic sugar unit are called?

• A. Monosaccharides
• B. Disaccharides
• C. Polysaccharides
• D. Oligosaccharides

Answer: (A)

Carbohydrates are categorized by how many sugar units they contain. Those made of a single basic sugar unit are monosaccharides. They are the simplest carbohydrates and serve as the building blocks for larger ones; examples include glucose, fructose, and galactose. They cannot be broken down into smaller carbohydrate units. In contrast, disaccharides have two sugar units, polysaccharides have many, and oligosaccharides have a short chain of a few units. Hence, carbohydrates with one sugar unit are monosaccharides.

Carbohydrates are categorized by how many sugar units they contain. Those made of a single basic sugar unit are monosaccharides. They are the simplest carbohydrates and serve as the building blocks for larger ones; examples include glucose, fructose, and galactose. They cannot be broken down into smaller carbohydrate units. In contrast, disaccharides have two sugar units, polysaccharides have many, and oligosaccharides have a short chain of a few units. Hence, carbohydrates with one sugar unit are monosaccharides.