Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Maltose is a reducing disaccharide made of two glucose units. The glycosidic bond connects the anomeric carbon of one unit to a hydroxyl of the other.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In maltose the C-1 of one \(\alpha\)-D-glucose is joined to the C-4 of a second glucose unit through an oxygen bridge. This is an \(\alpha\)-1,4-glycosidic bond. The second glucose keeps a free anomeric carbon, which is why maltose is a reducing sugar.
Step 3: Why the other options are wrong.
The \(\beta\)-1,4 linkage (A) is found in cellobiose and cellulose. The \(\alpha\)-1,6 linkage (C) is the branching point in amylopectin and glycogen. A \(\beta\)-2,4 linkage (D) is not a standard linkage in common disaccharides.
Final Answer:
Maltose has an \(\alpha\)-1,4 glycosidic bond, option (B).
\[ \boxed{\alpha\text{-1,4 (B)}} \]