What type of carbohydrate is formed by the union of two monosaccharides?

The correct answer is disaccharides. This type of carbohydrate is specifically formed when two monosaccharides undergo a condensation reaction, resulting in the combination of their sugar units with the release of a water molecule. This process typically involves a glycosidic bond, which links the two monosaccharides together.

For example, when glucose and fructose combine, they form sucrose, a common disaccharide known as table sugar. Disaccharides are an essential part of the carbohydrate family, providing a quick source of energy, and they can be broken down into their monosaccharide components by hydrolysis during digestion.

Monosaccharides, on the other hand, are the simplest form of carbohydrates and cannot be broken down into smaller sugars via hydrolysis. Polysaccharides consist of long chains of monosaccharide units and are typically formed by joining many monosaccharides together, resulting in more complex carbohydrates like starch and glycogen. Simple sugars refer generally to monosaccharides and disaccharides but do not specifically denote the structural formation resulting from the union of two monosaccharides as disaccharides do.