Human pathology

Home page > B. Cellular pathology > intercellular junctional complex

intercellular junctional complex

Adhesion between vertebrate cells is generally mediated by three types of adhesion junction: tight junctions (TJs), adherens junctions (AJs), and desmosomes.

Together they constitute the intercellular junctional complex, which has an important role in defining the physiological function of a cell; that is, they define whether and how a cell will be integrated in functional structures, such as organ epithelia or stroma.