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The glycocalyx is a type of identifier that the body uses to distinguish between its own healthy cells and transplanted tissues, diseased cells, or invading organisms. Included in the glycocalyx are cell-adhesion molecules that enable cells to adhere to each other and guide the movement of cells during embryonic development. [3]
A glycocalyx surface coat contains digestive enzymes. Microvilli on the apical surface increase its surface area. This facilitates transport of numerous small molecules into the enterocyte from the intestinal lumen. These include broken down proteins, fats, and sugars, as well as water, electrolytes, vitamins, and bile salts.
Therefore, the slime layer is considered as a subset of glycocalyx. While slime layers and capsules are found most commonly in bacteria, these structures do exist in archaea as well, albeit rarely. [2] This information about structure and function is also transferable to these microorganisms too.
These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion, with the direction of their movement always opposite to that of the secretion of mucilage. [1] It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide. Mucilage in plants plays a role in the storage of water and food, seed germination, and thickening membranes.
PAS staining is mainly used for staining structures containing a high proportion of carbohydrate macromolecules (glycogen, glycoprotein, proteoglycans), typically found in e.g. connective tissues, mucus, the glycocalyx, and basal laminae. PAS staining can be used to assist in the diagnosis of several medical conditions:
An example of how glycolipids function within the body is the interaction between leukocytes and endothelial cells during inflammation. Selectins, a class of lectins found on the surface of leukocytes and endothelial cells bind to the carbohydrates attached to glycolipids to initiate the immune response. This binding causes leukocytes to leave ...
Due to the wide array of functions within the body, interest in glycoprotein synthesis for medical use has increased. [5] There are now several methods to synthesize glycoproteins, including recombination and glycosylation of proteins. [5] Glycosylation is also known to occur on nucleo cytoplasmic proteins in the form of O-GlcNAc. [6]
d -Glucose + 2 [NAD] + + 2 [ADP] + 2 [P] i 2 × Pyruvate 2 × + 2 [NADH] + 2 H + + 2 [ATP] + 2 H 2 O Glycolysis pathway overview The use of symbols in this equation makes it appear unbalanced with respect to oxygen atoms, hydrogen atoms, and charges. Atom balance is maintained by the two phosphate (P i) groups: Each exists in the form of a hydrogen phosphate anion, dissociating to contribute ...