Definition of Desmosome
1. [n -S]
Medical Definition of Desmosome
1.
| Specialised 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 the intercellular space has a medial band of electron dense material. Desmosomes are particularly conspicuous in tissues such as skin that have to withstand mechanical stress.
Origin: Gr. Soma = body
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
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Lexicographical Neighbors of Desmosome
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