University of Central Florida (UCF) HUN3011 Human Nutrition Practice Exam 2

The correct answer is polysaccharides, which are carbohydrates that consist of long chains of three or more monosaccharide units. These complex carbohydrates can be comprised of hundreds or even thousands of monosaccharide molecules linked together by glycosidic bonds. Examples of polysaccharides include starch, glycogen, and cellulose, which play vital roles in energy storage and structural functions in living organisms.

Monosaccharides, on the other hand, are the simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of single sugar molecules like glucose and fructose. Oligosaccharides are composed of 2 to 10 monosaccharides, while disaccharides are made up of exactly two monosaccharides, such as sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar). Each of these categories has distinct structural and functional properties, differentiating them from polysaccharides, which are characterized by their larger, more complex structures.