List of abbreviations |
Vocabulary
of micros- copic anatomy specialist terms explained in English + German |
Every attempt was made to provide correct information and labelling, however any liability for eventual errors or incompleteness is rejected! |
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Conditions of use |
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| widened intercellular
space stratum spinosum, human skin |
human stratum spinosum
with widened intercellular spaces |
space between endothelium and smooth muscle cell (rat) |
intercellular space filled with
ground substance + collagen fibres ovary ligament (rat) |
many fibres in connective
tissue intercellular space lamina propria stomach (rat) |
thin intercellular space bet-
ween endocine cells of the adenohypophysis (rat) |
a tight junction disrups the
intercellular space for short distances, liver (rat) |
The intercellular space (Terminologia histologica: Spatium
intercellulare) is the space between cells. It is bordered by the
outer membranes of cells. In
epithelia
it is called intercellular cleft and usually is 25 to 35 nm in width
and filled with a fluid rich in water and thus not electron-dense. At places
where cell-to-cell contacts are present
between epithelial cells it may be filled
with intercellular substances (Macula and
Zonula
adhaerens). In tight junctions (Zonulae
occludentes) it is partly bridged by interconnecting proteins leaving
only small pores in between.
The size of these pores which are important for paracellular transport
varies and is responsible for passing of water and small ions which is
relevant in the gut: pore width is about 0.8 nm in duodenum
and jejunum where about 60% of the water
is withdrawn from the chymus, in the ileum
pore width is 0.4 nm resulting in a further resorption of 20% and in the
colon
pore size is only 0.23 nm for a final withdrawal of 20 % of water.
In electrical synapses (Nexus) the intercellular
space is bridged by tunnel proteins and thus very tiny due to close apposition
of the connected cells.
In contrast to that extracellular
space is very wide in connective tissue. Here
it is filled with intercellular
substance consisting of fibres (collagenous,
elastic
or reticular) as well as with fundamental
substance. Free connective tissue cells
migrate through it. In nerve tissue
and in musculature only some collagenous
or elastic fibres and fundamental
substance are seen in the intercellular space. In the central
nervous system it is very small like in epithelia.
At synapses and myoneural
end plates neurotransmitters have to pass the intercellular space.
--> epithelia, connective
tissue, nerve tissue, muscle
tissue, ground substance
--> Electron microscopic atlas Overview
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Images, page & copyright H. Jastrow.
