What are carbohydrates primarily composed of?

Carbohydrates are primarily composed of monosaccharides, which are simple sugars that serve as the building blocks for more complex carbohydrate structures. These monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose, consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, typically in a ratio that reflects the general formula (CH2O)n, where "n" represents the number of repeating units. When monosaccharides link together through glycosidic bonds, they form disaccharides (like sucrose) and polysaccharides (like starch and cellulose), which play vital roles in energy storage and structural functions in living organisms. Understanding that carbohydrates derive from and are built upon these simple sugars is fundamental to recognizing their importance in biological processes.