Cell junction

Overview
A cell junction is a structure within a tissue of a multicellular organism. Cell junctions are especially abundant in epithelial tissues. They consist of protein complexes and provide contact between neighbouring cells, between a cell and the extracellular matrix, or they build up the paracellular barrier of epithelia and control the paracellular transport.



In vertebrates, there are three major types of cell junctions:


 * Adherens junctions and Desmosomes
 * Gap junctions
 * Tight junctions

Invertebrates have several other types of specific junctions, for example Septate junctions or the CeAJ (C. elegans apical junction).

Cell junction molecules
The molecules responsible for creating cell junctions include various cell adhesion molecules.