Carbohydrate classification is often complex and done in various ways. However, carbohydrates are classified based on their molecular structure and reaction with various dyes/staining solutions for histological purposes.
Simple Carbohydrates: Molecules are composed purely of carbohydrates.
- Monosaccharides
- Polysaccharides, such as glycogen
Glycoconjugates: Molecules are composed of carbohydrates plus protein or lipid.
- Proteoglycans found in connective tissue
- Mucopolysaccharides, also known as mucins, which are further classified as acid mucins and neutral mucins
