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Tight Junctions, Desmosomes, and Gap Junctions in Animal Cells By Sonia Trejo and Hailey Scoggins Tight Junctions • At tight junctions the plasma membranes of neighboring cells are very tightly pressed against each Other. • Bound together by specific proteins (purple). • Form continuous seals around the cells to establish a barrier that prevents leakage of extracellular fluid across a layer of epithelial cells (see red dashed arrow). • tight junctions between skin cells make us watertight. Desmosomes • also called anchoring junctions • fasten cells together into strong Sheets • Intermediate filaments made of sturdy keratin proteins anchor desmosomes in the cytoplasm. • Desmosomes attach muscle cells to each other in a muscle. • Some “muscle tears” involve the rupture of desmosomes. Gap Junctions • also called communicating Junctions • provide cytoplasmic channels from one cell to an adjacent cell • in this way they are similar in their function to the plasmodesmata in plants. • consist of membrane proteins that surround a pore through which ions, sugars, amino acids, and other small molecules may pass. • necessary for communication between cells in many types of tissues, such as heart muscle, and in animal embryos.