- monosaccharides are simple sugars composed of 5 or 6 carbons, they can be linear or in a ring (forms ring in aqueous solutions) examples: ribose, glucose
- disaccharides are composed of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage, they are formed by a dehydration/condensation reaction and are broken apart by hydrolysis. examples: sucrose, maltose, lactose
- polysaccharides are composed of many monosaccharides linked together to form long polymers. examples: starch & glycogen used for energy storage and cellulose & chitin used for structural support