Cell Component
focal adhesion
[ foh-kuhl ad-hee-zhuhn ]
Subclass of:
Cell-Matrix Junction
Definitions related to focal adhesions:
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A cell-substrate junction that anchors the cell to the extracellular matrix and that forms a point of termination of actin filaments. In insects focal adhesion has also been referred to as hemi-adherens junction (HAJ).Gene Ontology DictionaryGene Ontology Consortium, 2021
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A cellular junction where cellular transmembrane integrin receptors bind to extracellular matrix proteins.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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An anchoring junction of the cell to a non-cellular substrate. It is composed of a specialized area of the plasma membrane where bundles of the ACTIN CYTOSKELETON terminate and attach to the transmembrane linkers, INTEGRINS, which in turn attach through their extracellular domains to EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX PROTEINS.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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