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Definition of Extracellular matrix
1. Noun. (context: anatomy cytology) All the connective tissues and fibres that are not part of a cell, but rather provide support. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Medical Definition of Extracellular matrix
1. Any material produced by cells and secreted into the surrounding medium, but usually applied to the noncellular portion of animal tissues. The ecm of connective tissue is particularly extensive and the properties of the ecm determine the properties of the tissue. In broad terms there are three major components: fibrous elements particularly collagen, elastin or reticulin), link proteins (e.g. Fibronectin, laminin) and space filling molecules (usually glycosaminoglycans). The matrix may be mineralised to resist compression (as in bone) or dominated by tension resisting fibres (as in tendon). The basal lamina of epithelial cells is another commonly encountered ecm. Although ecm is produced by cells, it has recently become clear that the ecm can influence the behaviour of cells quite markedly, an important factor to consider when growing cells in vitro: removing cells from their normal environment can have far reaching effects. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Extracellular Matrix
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