What are formed when two monosaccharides are joined together by dehydration synthesis?

When two monosaccharides are joined together through the process of dehydration synthesis, the resulting compound is a disaccharide. This biochemical reaction involves the removal of a water molecule (hence "dehydration") as the monosaccharides bond, forming a new glycosidic linkage between them.

Disaccharides are a class of carbohydrates that consist of exactly two monosaccharide units connected by glycosidic bonds. Common examples of disaccharides include sucrose (glucose + fructose) and lactose (glucose + galactose). The process of dehydration synthesis is not only fundamental in forming disaccharides but also serves as the basis for building larger carbohydrate structures as well.

While polysaccharides are formed from long chains of monosaccharides, and oligosaccharides consist of a small number of monosaccharides (typically 2 to about 10), the direct product of joining two monosaccharides specifically through dehydration synthesis is a disaccharide. Monosaccharides themselves are the simplest form of carbohydrates and do not involve any bonded units. Therefore, the formation of disaccharides from monosaccharides is a key concept in understanding the structure and complexity of carbohydrates.