Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Complex sugar (complex carbohydrate): A carbohydrate that can be hydrolyzed into simpler carbohydrates.

Amylose (a polysaccharide) is a complex sugar because its hydrolysis yields D-glucopyranose (a monosaccharide).


D-Glucopyranose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide) because it cannot be hydrolyzed.