Carbohydrates are biological molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, usually with a ratio of 2 hydrogen atoms to 1 oxygen atom. Carbohydrates include monosaccharides (simple sugars), disaccharides (two monosaccharides linked together), oligosaccharides (a few monosaccharides linked together), and polysaccharides (long chains of monosaccharides linked together). The basic units are monosaccharides, which are crystalline solids that cannot be broken down further and some have a sweet taste.