The smallest carbohydrate is called a monosaccharide. Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates and cannot be hydrolyzed into smaller carbohydrate units. They consist of a single sugar unit and serve as the basic building blocks for all other carbohydrates

. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, and galactose, which all share the same chemical formula (C6H12O6) but differ in structure

. Monosaccharides are important as fuel molecules and as building blocks for larger molecules like nucleic acids

. In summary, monosaccharides are the smallest carbohydrates, fundamental to metabolism and carbohydrate structure.