What are complex carbohydrates primarily made of?

Complex carbohydrates are primarily made up of long chains of monosaccharide units, which are essentially simple sugars. These monosaccharides link together through glycosidic bonds to form larger structures such as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, which are classified as complex carbohydrates.

When considering the structure of complex carbohydrates, it’s essential to understand that these macromolecules are composed of repeating units of simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, or galactose. These sugars can be branched or unbranched, leading to a variety of complex carbohydrates found in foods like starch and fiber.

The other options do not accurately represent the composition of complex carbohydrates. While monosaccharides are indeed the building blocks of complex carbohydrates, the phrasing of simple sugar subunits more accurately encompasses the idea that complex carbohydrates are made up of these linked simple sugars. This terminology emphasizes the structure and function of complex carbohydrates in nutrition and metabolism.