Washington Esthetician State Board Practice Exam

What are the main building blocks of carbohydrates?

1. Amino acids

2. Fatty acids

3. Simple sugars

4. Proteins

The correct answer is: Simple sugars

The main building blocks of carbohydrates are simple sugars, also known as monosaccharides. These are the most basic forms of carbohydrates and serve as the fundamental units that can combine to form more complex carbohydrates, like disaccharides and polysaccharides. For example, glucose, fructose, and galactose are examples of monosaccharides, and when they link together, they create larger carbohydrate structures such as starch and glycogen. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, while fatty acids are components of lipids or fats. Proteins themselves are made from chains of amino acids and do not directly pertain to the structure of carbohydrates. Understanding these distinctions is essential for recognizing how carbohydrates function in the body and how they relate to other macromolecules.