Neighboring cells are linked to each other by multimolecular complexes such as adherens junctions, desmosomes, and gap junctions. These complexes help maintain tissue integrity, act as barriers to permeability, reinforce cell polarity, and allow cells to communicate with each other. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology reviews our understanding of the organization, regulation, and dynamics of cell-cell junctions and the roles they play in morphogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and disease. The contributors examine the assembly and structure of different cell-cell adhesion systems, the plasticity of cell-cell junctions (e.g., during cell migration), and how the junctions act as hubs to sense and transduce various mechanical and chemical signals. The authors also discuss the roles of cell-cell junctions in specific developmental and physiological processes, such as hearing, skeletal myogenesis, and neural circuit assembly, as well as in diseases such as cancer. This volume is therefore an indispensable reference for cell and developmental biologists, as well as anyone interested in understanding the roles of these complexes in human health and disease.

The integument plays an important role in the survival of meta zoans by separating and protecting them from a hostile environ ment. Its function ranges from protection against injury and in fection; partlcipation in the regulation of body temperature and water balance, to respiratory activity, monitoring of the environ ment and production of signals related to behaviour. All these result from specific structural, biochemical and physiological properties of intra-and extracellular components of the integu ment. Thus its characterization can be best accomplished by a multidisciplinary approach with authors specialized in different fields of science. This multi-author book, in two volumes, provides an up-to date survey of the literature. The first volume deals with the integument of invertebrates, the second with that of vertebrates, both organized primarily on a phylum basis. As the level of knowledge on the integument of phyla differs considerably, the information provided is correspondingly either limited or con densed. For some of the smaller groups of invertebrates little information is available, as often only a few electron micrographs are to be found in the literature; on the other hand, from the large body of knowledge existing for vertebrates, particularly for mammals, no complete overview can be provided, but publica tions giving access to further information have been reviewed critically.

A Laboratory Guide to the Tight Junction offers broad coverage of the unique methods required to investigate its characteristics. The methods are described in detail, including its biochemical and biophysical principles, step-by-step process, data analysis, troubleshooting, and optimization. The coverage includes various cell, tissue, and animal models. Chapter 1 provides the foundations of cell biology of tight junction. Chapter 2 covers the Biochemical approaches for paracellular channels and is followed by chapter 3 providing the Biophysical approaches. Chapter 4 describes and discusses Histological approaches for tissue fixation and preparation. Chapter 5 discusses Light microscopy, while chapter 6 presents Electron microscopic approaches. Chapter 7 covers Transgenic manipulation in cell cultures, including DNA and siRNA, Mutagenesis, and viral infection. Chapter 8 covers transgenic manipulation in mice, including: Knockout, Knockin, siRNA knockdown, GFP/LacZ reporter, and overexpression. The final chapter discusses the future developments of new approaches for tight junction research. Researchers and advanced students in bioscience working on topics of cell junction, ion channel and membrane protein will benefit from the described methods. Clinicians and pathologists interested in tissue barrier diseases will also benefit from the biochemical and biophysical characterization of tight junctions in organ systems, and their connection to human diseases. - Provides consistent and detailed research methods - Covers various cell, tissue and animal models - Includes step-by-step guidance from beginner to sophisticated levels

There has been a dramatic increase in knowledge of tight junctions in the past decade. The molecular structure of tight junctions, cellular functions and the pathophysiological roles of tight junctions are becoming clear. Of the most important functions, the role of the cellular structure in cancer spread and drug delivery are increasingly realised. It is now clear that there are fundamental changes to tight junctions during the process of cancer development. Tight junctions are also critical to the metastatic process of cancer cells. The cellular structure is also crucial in drug therapies, namely, the permeability and bioavailability of the drugs, penetration of barriers such as the blood brain barrier. This current volume aims to summarise the current knowledge of tight junctions, their role in cancer and cancer metastasis and is of interest to scientists and clinicians.

The period between 1950 and 1980 were the golden unique insights into how pathological processes affect years of transmission electron microscopy and produced cell organization. a plethora of new information on the structure of cells This information is vital to current work in which that was coupled to and followed by biochemical and the emphasis is on integrating approaches from functional studies. TEM was king and each micrograph proteomics, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, of a new object produced new information that led to molecular imaging and physiology and pathology to novel insights on cell and tissue organization and their understand cell functions and derangements in disease. functions. The quality of data represented by the images In this current era, there is a growing tendency to of cell and tissues had been perfected to a very high level substitut e modern light microscopic techniques for by the great microscopists of that era including Palade, electron microscopy, because it is less technically Porter, Fawcett, Sjostrand, Rhodin and many others. At demanding and is more readily available to researchers- present, the images that we see in leading journals for This atlas reminds us that the information obtained by the most part do not reach the same technical level and electron microscopy is invaluable and has no substitute.

Biology for AP® courses covers the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester Advanced Placement® biology course. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology for AP® Courses was designed to meet and exceed the requirements of the College Board’s AP® Biology framework while allowing significant flexibility for instructors. Each section of the book includes an introduction based on the AP® curriculum and includes rich features that engage students in scientific practice and AP® test preparation; it also highlights careers and research opportunities in biological sciences.