Type of Carbohydrate	Definition	Examples	Structure	Function
Monosaccharides	Simplest form of carbohydrates that cannot be hydrolyzed further.	Glucose, Fructose, Galactose	Single sugar unit	Primary source of energy in cells
Disaccharides	Consist of two monosaccharide molecules.	Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose	Two sugar units	Provide quick energy, contribute to the taste of food
Oligosaccharides	Short chains of three to ten monosaccharides.	Raffinose, Fructo-oligosaccharides	3-10 sugar units	Function as soluble fiber in the gut, improve digestion
Polysaccharides	Long chains of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds.	Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose	More than 10 sugar units	Long-term energy storage, provide structure to cells

Type of Carbohydrate	Identification From Image
Monosaccharides	Look for a single sugar unit. It can be in the form of a ring structure, often with CH2OH groups and various numbers of CHOH groups.
Disaccharides	Two monosaccharides linked together. Look for two sugar units connected by an O-glycosidic bond.
Oligosaccharides	Short chains of 3 to 10 monosaccharides. Look for multiple sugar units linked together, but less than ten.
Polysaccharides	Complex structures of more than 10 sugar units. They often have a more complex, branched structure.

How to identify different type of carbohydrates?