NANP Board Practice Exam

Which carbohydrates are referred to as polysaccharides?

1. Complex carbohydrates

2. Functional carbohydrates

3. Monosaccharides

4. Simple carbohydrates

The correct answer is: Complex carbohydrates

The correct designation for polysaccharides is complex carbohydrates. Polysaccharides are carbohydrates that consist of long chains of monosaccharide units linked together, making them more complex than simple carbohydrates, which are typically composed of one or two sugar units. Complex carbohydrates include starches, glycogen, and cellulose, all of which serve important functions in energy storage and structural components in plants and animals. By contrast, functional carbohydrates are a different classification that involves carbohydrates beneficial to health, and simple carbohydrates refer to sugars that are quickly absorbed. Thus, polysaccharides are indeed best categorized as complex carbohydrates due to their multi-unit structure and functionality in nutrition and metabolism.