Which structures connect corneocytes together?

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Multiple Choice

Which structures connect corneocytes together?

Desmosomes bind corneocytes together. In the outermost epidermal layer, the dead, flattened cells of the stratum corneum are held in place by corneodesmosomes, which are specialized desmosomes that glue the cells of this horny layer. This strong cell-to-cell adhesion gives the skin its mechanical cohesion and helps maintain the barrier, with shedding occurring as these connections are proteolytically broken down during desquamation. Tight junctions form seals between cells to regulate paracellular movement and are located more in the barrier-forming layers; hemidesmosomes anchor basal keratinocytes to the basement membrane rather than linking corneocytes to one another; gap junctions enable direct chemical communication between living cells, not adhesion between corneocytes.

Desmosomes bind corneocytes together. In the outermost epidermal layer, the dead, flattened cells of the stratum corneum are held in place by corneodesmosomes, which are specialized desmosomes that glue the cells of this horny layer. This strong cell-to-cell adhesion gives the skin its mechanical cohesion and helps maintain the barrier, with shedding occurring as these connections are proteolytically broken down during desquamation.

Tight junctions form seals between cells to regulate paracellular movement and are located more in the barrier-forming layers; hemidesmosomes anchor basal keratinocytes to the basement membrane rather than linking corneocytes to one another; gap junctions enable direct chemical communication between living cells, not adhesion between corneocytes.

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