It forms characteristic sunflower-shaped crystals with osazone reaction. The anomeric carbon of one glucose is free in maltose, and hence it possesses all the reducing properties of a reducing sugar. Isomaltose is also a reducing disaccharide. It consists of two molecules of glucose units. The type of linkage is α(1 → 4) glycosidic linkage. It is formed by the partial hydrolysis of glycogen and starch.