1. Animal Cell Junctions
By: Isaac Fang
In: Bio 4H

2. 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. 3 Major type of Cell Junctions.
Tight Junctions
Desmosome.
Gap Junctions

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. References
ranes/13t.html