Polysaccharides and Oligosaccharides:

Polysaccharides and Oligosaccharides are both kinds of carbohydrate molecules, but they differ in complexity and size. The Oligosaccharides are much simpler and smaller, according to the Medical Biochemistry Page. Overall carbohydrates consist of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. The smallest are known as monosaccharides that are sugars containing just a few carbons, although the largest are known as polysaccharides.

The oligosaccharides raffinose, stachyose and verbascose hold three, four and five sugar units, respectively. Raffinose is the most general form. Oligosaccharides, which are not as broadly distributed in nature as are polysaccarides, make up a huge portion of the carbohydrate content in the seeds of legumes, according to the Agriculture Organization and Food. On the germination, the seedlings starts to use stored oligosaccharide for food through using an enzyme to break them down.