Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Monosaccharide (simple sugar; simple carbohydrate): A carbohydrate that cannot be hydrolyzed into two or more simpler carbohydrates.


D-Glucopyranose is not broken down into two or more carbohydrates upon hydrolysis, so D-glucopyranose is a monosaccharide.


Lactose hydrolysis yields one molecule each of D-galactopyranose and D-glucopyranose, so lactose is a disaccharide.


Amylose hydrolysis yields many molecules of D-glucopyranose, so amylose is a polysaccharide.