Monosaccharides are best defined as?

Monosaccharides are indeed best defined as small molecules, or monomers, that serve as the building blocks for larger carbohydrates. These simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and galactose, are the most basic form of carbohydrates and cannot be hydrolyzed into simpler sugars. In the context of carbohydrate chemistry, monosaccharides can combine through glycosidic bonds to form disaccharides and polysaccharides, thus playing a crucial role in the structure and function of more complex carbohydrates. This characteristic of monosaccharides as fundamental units is essential for understanding how carbohydrates are constructed and how they function in biological systems.