Knowledge Base

Fungi include molds, yeasts and higher fungi. All fungi are eukaryotic and have sterols but not peptidoglycan in their cell membrane. Their cell walls are composed of cellulose; the same building blocks that plants use.

There are some pathological conditions that exist that cannot be accurately diagnosed by examining hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides alone. In such cases, the pathologist may order immunohistochemical (IHC) stains to help render a diagnosis.

When staining sections for the presence of carbohydrates, the two main classes under investigation are glycogen and mucins.  Mucins include substances referred to as mucopolysaccharides, mucosubstances, glycoproteins and glycoconjugates.

1. incomplete fixation
2. improper embedding
3. incomplete dehydration
4. incomplete infiltration with paraffin