Abstract
Publisher Summary Modern cell biology has shown that cellular recognition and adhesion are not always manifested by junctions of a classical type or by morphological entities recognizable by standard transmission electron microscopy techniques. This chapter describes several junctions in which experimental data are the primary evidence for suggesting a junctional relationship between cells. The cyclic nature of spermatogenesis and the continually changing morphology of the Sertoli cell provide a dynamic framework in which junctions are periodically formed and eliminated. Desmosomes are important in maintaining the integrity of the seminiferous epithelium, a function, which should not be underemphasized, because many germ cell types appear only loosely arranged in the seminiferous epithelium. Based on circumstantial evidence, it is reasonable to suspect that, as yet, unrecognized junctional forms are present in the relationship of the Sertoli cell and germ cells and will be revealed in the future through methodological advances.
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