Cell adhesion

Definition

Cell adhesion refers to the process by which cells interact and attach to neighboring cells or extracellular matrix components through specialized proteins. This process is crucial for maintaining tissue structure, facilitating communication between cells, and enabling various biological functions such as wound healing and immune response. The proteins involved in cell adhesion are often integral membrane proteins that play a role in the organization of cellular structures and signaling pathways.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Cell adhesion is essential for tissue development, maintenance, and repair, as it helps cells stick together to form organized structures.
2. Different types of adhesion molecules, such as cadherins, integrins, and selectins, play specific roles in mediating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.
3. Cell adhesion influences cellular signaling pathways that can affect cell behavior, including proliferation, differentiation, and migration.
4. In cancer, altered cell adhesion can lead to increased cell mobility, enabling metastasis when cancer cells detach from their primary site and spread to other parts of the body.
5. The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix can impact cell adhesion strength and stability, affecting how cells respond to mechanical forces in their environment.

Review Questions

• How do adhesion molecules contribute to the formation and maintenance of tissue structure?
  • Adhesion molecules are critical in facilitating interactions between cells and between cells and the extracellular matrix. They help cells bind together to create cohesive tissues, ensuring that cells remain organized within their designated structures. By mediating these interactions, adhesion molecules also contribute to signaling pathways that regulate various cellular processes essential for tissue integrity and function.
• Discuss the role of the extracellular matrix in influencing cell adhesion and its implications for cellular behavior.
  • The extracellular matrix plays a significant role in influencing cell adhesion by providing a scaffold for cells to attach to. The composition and mechanical properties of the ECM can modulate how firmly cells adhere to it. For example, a stiffer matrix may promote stronger adhesion, while a softer one may allow more mobility. This interplay between cell adhesion and ECM properties has important implications for processes like wound healing, where changes in adhesion can affect how cells migrate and proliferate.
• Evaluate the consequences of altered cell adhesion in cancer progression and metastasis.
  • Altered cell adhesion can significantly impact cancer progression by enabling cancer cells to detach from the primary tumor and migrate to distant sites in the body. This loss of adhesion may be due to changes in the expression or function of adhesion molecules, allowing cancer cells to escape the constraints of their surrounding tissue. Once detached, these cells can invade new environments, leading to metastasis. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for developing therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing tumor spread and improving patient outcomes.

Related terms

Adhesion molecules: Proteins located on the cell surface that mediate cell adhesion, allowing cells to bind to each other or to the extracellular matrix.

Extracellular matrix (ECM): A complex network of proteins and carbohydrates that provides structural and biochemical support to surrounding cells.

Tight junctions: Specialized connections between adjacent cells that prevent the passage of molecules and ions through the space between them, contributing to the integrity of tissues.