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Extracellular Matrix

Extracellular Matrix

Unlike epithelial tissue, which is composed of cells closely packed with little or no extracellular space in between, connective tissue cells are dispersed in a matrix. This extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of fibrous proteins like collagen, elastin, and fibronectin in a ground substance consisting of interstitial fluid, cell adhesion proteins, and proteoglycans. The proteoglycans form a gel-like material in the spaces between cells and provide hydration, buffering, binding, and force...

The Extracellular Matrix

The Extracellular Matrix

In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.Composition of the Extracellular MatrixThe extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse molecules.

The Extracellular Matrix

The Extracellular Matrix

Overview
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.
Composition of the Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse...

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue.
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...

Development of the Heart

Development of the Heart

The development of the human heart, a crucial organ, commences from the mesoderm on the 18th or 19th day after fertilization. This process initiates in the cardiogenic area, a group of mesodermal cells at the embryo's head end, which evolves into elongated strands known as cardiogenic cords. These cords undergo a transformation to form hollow-centered endocardial tubes.
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Production of Cardiac Extracellular Matrix from Adult Human Fibroblasts for Culture Dish Coating

Production of Cardiac Extracellular Matrix from Adult Human Fibroblasts for Culture Dish Coating

Published on: March 22, 2024

Extracellular matrix and heart development.

Marie Lockhart¹, Elaine Wirrig, Aimee Phelps

¹Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

Birth Defects Research. Part A, Clinical and Molecular Teratology

|May 28, 2011

Summary

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is vital for heart development, regulating cellular events. Its components and their processing are crucial, with disruptions leading to congenital heart disease.

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Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Production of Cardiac Extracellular Matrix from Adult Human Fibroblasts for Culture Dish Coating

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Processing of Human Cardiac Tissue Toward Extracellular Matrix Self-assembling Hydrogel for In Vitro and In Vivo Applications

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Neonatal Cardiac Scaffolds: Novel Matrices for Regenerative Studies

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Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Biology
Developmental Biology
Extracellular Matrix Research

Background:

The developing heart's extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic environment critical for regulating cellular events.
Key ECM molecules in the heart include hyaluronan, fibronectin, fibrillin, proteoglycans, and collagens.
Proteolytic processing of ECM by proteases, such as the ADAMTS family, is essential for cardiac development.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the specific roles of ECM components in cardiovascular development.
To highlight the importance of ECM regulation for normal heart formation.

Main Methods:

This is a review article, summarizing existing research.
Focuses on the literature concerning ECM composition and remodeling in the developing heart.

Main Results:

Dysregulation of ECM gene expression and remodeling can disrupt heart formation.
Aberrant ECM can lead to congenital heart disease and prenatal lethality.

Conclusions:

The ECM plays an active and crucial role in regulating cellular events during cardiac development.
Understanding ECM dynamics is essential for comprehending congenital heart disease.