Animal Cell Junctions By: Isaac Fang In: Bio 4H
Animal Cell Junctions In other words: Type of connections or attachments that exist between adjacent (epithelial) cells. Epithelia: sheets of cells making up skin. Separating environment (inside & outside of body). In other words: Things that connect cells to other cells.
3 Major type of Cell Junctions. Tight Junctions Desmosome. Gap Junctions
Tight Junction- What: Functions: Where? A specialized connection of two adjacent animal cell membranes such that the space usually lying between them is absent. What: Tightly Sealed Water-tight. Fused by Plasmalemma Functions: Block off Bacteria Block molecules (such as H2O & Ions) from passing though. Choose what to pass. Where? In bladder, Intestines, Kidney.
Desmosome Formed by Proteins. Gap between cells. Near tight junction. A structure by which two adjacent cells are attached, formed from protein plaques in the cell membranes linked by filaments. Formed by Proteins. Gap between cells. Near tight junction. Functions: Resist stretch and twist H2O & Ions can pass. Where Skin, Intestines
Gap Junction What: Function: Where? Tunnel between two cells. They directly connect the cytoplasm of two cells, which allows various molecules, ions and electrical impulses to directly pass through a regulated gate between cells. What: Tunnel between two cells. Function: Coordinate, and communicate. Let Ions (to certain size) to pass. Where? Cardiac Muscles. Neurons. Heart.
References http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/problem_sets/memb ranes/13t.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpDA4drrn8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGQabqD3HlI