desmosome

desmosome
A site of adhesion between two epithelial cells, consisting of a dense attachment plaque separated from a similar structure in the other cell by a thin layer of extracellular material. SYN: bridge corpuscle, macula adherens. [desmo- + G. soma, body]

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des·mo·some 'dez-mə-.sōm n a specialized local thickening of the plasma membrane of an epithelial cell that serves to anchor contiguous cells together
des·mo·som·al -.sō-məl adj

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n.
an area of contact between two adjacent cells, occurring particularly in epithelia. The cell membranes at a desmosome are thickened and fine fibres (tonofibrils) extend from the desmosome into the cytoplasm.

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des·mo·some (dezґmo-sōm) [desmo- + -some] a type of adhesive junction that links intermediate filaments and cell membranes within and between cells by homophilic interactions between cadherins (desmogleins and desmocollins); it is a small, discrete, circular, dense body abundant in epithelial cells but occurring also in other cell types. It consists of local differentiations of the apposing cell membranes, with a dense cytoplasmic plaque underlying each membrane, toward which numerous tonofilaments converge; a dense lamina may occur within the intercellular gap. Called also macula adherens. desmosomal adj

Desmosome.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Desmosome — desmosomes Cell adhesion …   Wikipedia

  • desmosome — ● desmosome nom masculin Zone différenciée de la paroi cellulaire, à travers laquelle se font les échanges chimiques rapides entre cellules voisines. desmosome [desmozom] n. m. ÉTYM. V. 1960 (in Manuila); du grec desmos « lien », et suff. some. ❖ …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • desmosome — desmosome. См. десмосома. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • desmosome — [dez′mə sōm΄] n. Cytology a beltlike or buttonlike structure in or on the surface of a cell, that helps to hold adjacent cells together …   English World dictionary

  • Desmosome — Schéma d un desmosome Un desmosome est une région où la membrane plasmique d une cellule adhère à la lame basale sous jacente ou à une cellule adjacente. La nature des filaments intermédiaires est variable (kératine dans les cellules épithéliales …   Wikipédia en Français

  • desmosome — n. an area of contact between two adjacent cells, occurring particularly in epithelia. The cell membranes at a desmosome are thickened and fine fibres (tonofibrils) extend from the desmosome into the cytoplasm …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • desmosome — n. [Gr. desmos, bond; soma, body] 1. That portion of a cell membrane specialized for adhesion to a neighboring cell. 2. (ARTHROPODA: Insecta) An attachment area between epidermal and muscle cells; the muscle fibrils of the muscles attach on one… …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • desmosome — (dè smo so m ) s. m. Terme de zoologie. Genre de coléoptères tétramères. Espèce unique : le desmosome longipède, du Brésil. ÉTYMOLOGIE    Termes grecs signifiant lien et corps …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • desmosome — noun Date: circa 1932 a specialized structure of the cell membrane especially of an epithelial cell that serves as a zone of adhesion to anchor contiguous cells together • desmosomal adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • desmosome — (= macula adherens junctions; spot desmosomes) Specialized cell junction characteristic of epithelia into which intermediate filaments (tonofilaments of cytokeratin) are inserted. The gap between plasma membranes is of the order of 25 30nm and… …   Dictionary of molecular biology

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