Disaccharide
A carbohydrate formed when two monosaccharide units join through a glycosidic bond.
Formula / equation
C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Formation releases a molecule of water, and hydrolysis by acid or a specific enzyme reverses the process. Whether a disaccharide reduces Fehling's solution depends on whether a free anomeric carbon remains, which is why sucrose is non-reducing but maltose is not.
Examples in the real world
Sucrose from glucose and fructose, lactose from glucose and galactose, and maltose from two glucoses.