Final answer:
Monosaccharides can join to form disaccharides and polysaccharides through condensation reactions, involving the formation of a glycosidic bond, which creates larger carbohydrate molecules like starch and glycogen that are essential for energy storage and structural purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Monosaccharides, the simplest form of carbohydrates, can combine to form larger structures called disaccharides and polysaccharides. Disaccharides, such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose, consist of two monosaccharide units linked by a glycosidic bond. This bond is established during a condensation reaction, where a molecule of water is released as two monosaccharides join. With concern carbohydrates or polysaccharides, numerous monosaccharides are linked together through repeated condensation reactions, forming a polymer that can contain hundreds to thousands of sugar units. These polymers include essential biomolecules like starch, glycogen, cellulose, and chitin. For instance, starch is a storage form of energy in plants composed primarily of glucose units and is digestible by humans, providing an important energy source. Polysaccharides are structurally diverse, with some, like cellulose, forming rigid structures, while others like glycogen serve as accessible energy stores. The linkage of monosaccharides to polysaccharides can profoundly affect the properties of these biomolecules, resulting in a wide range of functions critical for various biological processes in both plants and animals.