Extracellular
Extracellular
Extracellular (pronunciation: eks-truh-SEL-yuh-ler) is a term used in biology and cell biology to describe any substance or structure not located within or occurring inside a cell.
Etymology
The term "extracellular" is derived from the Latin words "extra" meaning "outside" and "cella" meaning "cell".
Definition
Extracellular refers to the space outside the cell membrane that includes all the other components of an organism not housed within the cells themselves. This includes the extracellular matrix, extracellular fluid, and extracellular vesicles.
Related Terms
- Extracellular matrix (ECM): The non-cellular component present within all tissues and organs, providing not only essential physical scaffolding for the cellular constituents but also initiates crucial biochemical and biomechanical cues that are required for tissue morphogenesis, differentiation and homeostasis.
- Extracellular fluid (ECF): Body fluid that is not contained in cells. It includes interstitial fluid, blood plasma, and fluids found in bone, connective tissue, and body cavities.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs): Particles naturally released from the cell that are delimited by a lipid bilayer and cannot replicate, i.e., they do not contain a functional nucleus.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Extracellular
- Wikipedia's article - Extracellular
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