What term refers to sugars made up of two simple sugars, such as lactose and sucrose?

What term refers to sugars made up of two simple sugars, such as lactose and sucrose?

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

Answer: (A)

When carbohydrates are composed of two monosaccharide units, they are called disaccharides. These sugars have two simple sugar units linked by a glycosidic bond. Lactose combines glucose with galactose, while sucrose combines glucose with fructose. This distinguishes them from monosaccharides, which are single sugars like glucose or fructose; polysaccharides, which are long chains such as starch; and oligosaccharides, which are short chains of a few units. Disaccharides are typically soluble in water and give a sweet taste; they are digested by specific enzymes (lactase for lactose and sucrase for sucrose) to yield the individual monosaccharides for absorption.

When carbohydrates are composed of two monosaccharide units, they are called disaccharides. These sugars have two simple sugar units linked by a glycosidic bond. Lactose combines glucose with galactose, while sucrose combines glucose with fructose. This distinguishes them from monosaccharides, which are single sugars like glucose or fructose; polysaccharides, which are long chains such as starch; and oligosaccharides, which are short chains of a few units. Disaccharides are typically soluble in water and give a sweet taste; they are digested by specific enzymes (lactase for lactose and sucrase for sucrose) to yield the individual monosaccharides for absorption.