Gap Junction
Question 1: What is Gap Junction?
Answer:
Cell junctions known as gap junctions join neighbouring cells together via protein channels. Each cell’s cytoplasm is connected by these channels, which permit the movement of chemicals, ions, and electrical signals. Due to the fact that gap junctions exist between every cell that touches another cell directly, the vast majority of cells in the body include them. Red blood cells and sperm cells are two exceptions because they travel and don’t typically come in contact with other cells closely. Plant cells are joined by channels termed plasmodesmata rather than gap junctions, which are only seen in animal cells.
Question 2: In smooth and cardiac muscles, cell junctions are represented by?
Answer:
Direct contact between muscle cells is made possible by gap junctions, which also facilitate electrical transmission. As a result, depolarization waves travel quickly across the entire system as they pass from cell to cell. Gap junctions are present in smooth muscles to enable the same rapid spread of depolarization as in cardiac muscles. There are no cell-cell junctions in skeletal muscle.
Question 3: Name the different cell junctions found in tissue.
Answer:
Different cell junction found in tissue are as follows:
- Tight junction
- Gap junction
- Adhering junction
Question 4: What is a tight junction?
Answer:
Tight junctions, which separate tissue compartments and control the selective transport of solutes across the epithelium, create a continuous intercellular barrier between epithelial cells.
Question 5: What is the main purpose of gap junctions?
Answer:
Gap junctions, which are made up of two unrelated protein families called pannexins and connexins, facilitate the movement of ions, second messengers, and tiny metabolites between adjacent cells.
Gap Junction
The fundamental structural and operational unit of all living things is the cell. Each cell has a cytoplasm that is surrounded by a membrane and is home to a variety of biomolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids.
Cells can develop specialised functions and perform a variety of tasks within the cell, including protein synthesis, DNA repair, replication, and motility. Within the cell, cells can specialise and move around. Due to their small size, the majority of cells are measured in micrometres.