L8 - Epithelia Flashcards
what does it mean if an epithelial cell has a large nucleus?
it may produce a lot of protein
what are epithelial tissues main functions? 2
protective barrier and absorption and secretion
what cellular junctions are occluding? where are they found?
tight junctions (zonula occludens), found apically at the cell
what cellular junctions are anchoring? 3
zonula adherens, desmosomes, hemidesmosomes
what do zonula adherens do?
link cells together by the actin cytoskeleton
what do desmosomes do?
anchor cells together
what do hemidesmosomes do?
anchor cells to the basement membrane
what cellular junctions are for communicating? how so?
gap junctions, allow for small molecules to travel in between the gaps
what are zonula occludens (tight junctions) transmembrane proteins?
occludin and claudin
what do different claudins cause?
different permeabilities in different tissues
what effect does claudin-16 have on the kidney?
makes only specific regions are permeable to Mg2+ ions
what effect does a mutation inclaudin-16 gene have on the kidney?
causes abnormal claudin-16 resulting in junction impermeable to ions and so low Mg2+ reabsorption back into the blood
what conditions can be caused by mutated or faulty claudins? 3
magnesium deficiency, kidney damage/renal failure, dehydration via skin
what is claudin-1 responsible for?
waterproofing qualities of the skin
what is zonula adherens (adherens junction) main transmembrane protein?
E-cadherins
what disease is linked to the loss of E-cadherins?
metastasis of cancer cells
what kind of cancerous cells have lower levels of E-cadherin expression?
malignant