Table of Contents
Why Can’t Monosaccharides Break Down Further: Carbs Exam Guide
Monosaccharides are simple sugars like glucose that can’t hydrolyze into smaller units and act as carbohydrate monomers, key for energy and polymers—master these traits for General Biology certification success.
Question
Which of the following is correct for Monosaccharides?
A. They are simple sugars.
B. All of the above
C. They cannot be broken down into smaller sugars.
D. They are monomers of carbohydrates.
Answer
B. All of the above
Explanation
Monosaccharides represent the simplest form of carbohydrates, classified as simple sugars such as glucose, fructose, and galactose, which possess a single-ring structure typically composed of 3 to 7 carbon atoms with an aldehyde or ketone group enabling sweet taste and solubility in water. They cannot be hydrolyzed or broken down into smaller carbohydrate units by digestion, distinguishing them from disaccharides like sucrose or polysaccharides like starch, thus serving as the fundamental building blocks that polymerize through glycosidic bonds to form all larger carbohydrates. As monomers, monosaccharides link via dehydration synthesis reactions—losing water molecules—to create disaccharides (e.g., glucose + fructose → sucrose) and polysaccharides (e.g., many glucose units → glycogen or cellulose), playing essential roles in energy storage, structural support, and cellular recognition across all living organisms.