Tight junctions and tissue barriers

Summary

Oxidative stress disrupts vital cellular barriers, impacting organ function. Antioxidative strategies can help restore these tissue barriers, though molecular mechanisms require further study.

Related Concept Videos

Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions01:23

Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions

Epithelial tissues are large sheets of cells covering all of the surfaces of the body. These surfaces can be internal or external, for example, skin, airways, the digestive tract, the urinary system, and the reproductive system. Hollow organs and body cavities that do not connect to the body's exterior, including blood vessels and serous membranes, are lined by epithelial tissue known as the endothelium.
Epithelial tissues provide the body's first line of protection from physical, chemical, and...
Tissue Membranes01:27

Tissue Membranes

A tissue membrane is a thin layer of cells that covers the outside of the body, the organs, internal passageways that lead to the exterior of the body, and the lining of the moveable joint cavities. There are two basic types of tissue membranes— connective tissue and epithelial membranes.
Connective Tissue Membranes
The connective tissue membrane is formed solely from connective tissue. These membranes encapsulate organs, such as the kidneys, and line our movable joints. A synovial membrane is...
Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Simple Epithelium01:30

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Simple Epithelium

Simple epithelium consists of a single layer of cells that lines body cavities and blood vessels. The shape of the cells in the epithelium reflects the function of the tissue. Cells in simple squamous epithelium appear as thin scales with flat, elliptical nuclei that mirror the form of the cell.
Because of the thinness of the cells, simple squamous epithelium is present where the rapid passage of chemical compounds is observed. For example, the endothelium that lines the capillaries and vessels...