What are the two types of complex carbohydrates?

• A. polysaccharides and starches
• B. monosaccharides and disaccharides
• C. oligosaccharides and polysaccharides
• D. fructans and cellulose

Answer: (A)

Complex carbohydrates are long chains of sugar units, mainly existing as polysaccharides, which include starches, cellulose, and glycogen. Starches are a plant storage polysaccharide and serve as a classic example of a complex carbohydrate. In many nutrition contexts, the idea is to recognize the broad category of polysaccharides and a representative example from that group, which is why pairing polysaccharides with starches makes sense—the starches are the concrete form most people encounter. The other options mix categories that aren’t the standard way we classify complex carbohydrates: simple carbs are monosaccharides and disaccharides, while oligosaccharides are shorter chains and don’t form the primary two-type split used here.