Which term is used for simple sugar units like glucose and fructose?

Which term is used for simple sugar units like glucose and fructose?

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

Answer: (D)

Single-sugar units are called monosaccharides. These are the basic building blocks of carbohydrates, existing as single sugar molecules that cannot be broken down into smaller sugars. When two monosaccharides join, they form a disaccharide like sucrose or lactose; short chains of a few monosaccharides are oligosaccharides; and long chains of many monosaccharides are polysaccharides such as starch or cellulose. Glucose and fructose are both monosaccharides, the term that identifies simple sugar units.

Single-sugar units are called monosaccharides. These are the basic building blocks of carbohydrates, existing as single sugar molecules that cannot be broken down into smaller sugars. When two monosaccharides join, they form a disaccharide like sucrose or lactose; short chains of a few monosaccharides are oligosaccharides; and long chains of many monosaccharides are polysaccharides such as starch or cellulose. Glucose and fructose are both monosaccharides, the term that identifies simple sugar units.