Which type of carbohydrate typically involves the condensation of monosaccharides to form longer chains?

The correct choice is polysaccharide, which is characterized by being formed through the condensation of many monosaccharides. This process involves a chemical reaction where water is removed (dehydration synthesis), allowing the monosaccharides to bond together through glycosidic linkages, forming longer chains. Polysaccharides can consist of hundreds or even thousands of monosaccharide units, contributing to their roles in storage (such as starch and glycogen) and structure (such as cellulose in plant cell walls).

Disaccharides consist of just two monosaccharides linked together. Oligosaccharides contain a small number of monosaccharides, typically between three to ten. Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates and cannot be broken down into smaller carbohydrate units. Understanding these differences is crucial in recognizing that polysaccharides represent the larger chains formed from multiple monosaccharides through condensation reactions.