What is an example of a complex carbohydrate?

Complex carbohydrates are made up of longer chains of sugar molecules compared to simple carbohydrates, which typically consist of one or two sugar units. Starch, which is classified as a complex carbohydrate, is composed of multiple glucose units linked together. It serves as a major energy storage form for plants and is found in foods such as grains, legumes, and tubers.

In contrast, glucose and fructose are both simple sugars, also known as monosaccharides. Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule, which makes it a simple carbohydrate as well. Thus, starch stands out as the only option among those listed that qualifies as a complex carbohydrate due to its larger molecular structure and the way it is metabolized in the body.