Editing Glycocalyx (section)

{{short description|Viscous, carbohydrate rich layer at the outermost periphery of a cell.}}
{{Infobox microanatomy
| Name        = Glycocalyx
| Latin       =
| Image       = Bacillus subtilis.jpg
| Caption     = [[Transmission electron microscopy|TEM]] [[micrograph]] of a [[Bacillus subtilis|''B. subtilis'']] bacterium, with the hair-like glycocalyx visible surrounding the cell membrane (scale bar = 200 nm)
| Image2      =
| Caption2    =
| Precursor   =
}}
The '''glycocalyx''' ({{plural form}}: '''glycocalyces''' or '''glycocalyxes'''), also known as the '''pericellular matrix''' and '''cell coat''', is a layer of [[glycoproteins]] and [[glycolipids]] which surround the [[cell membrane]]s of [[bacteria]], [[epithelial cells]], and other cells.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Martínez-Palomo |first1=A. |title=The Surface Coats of Animal Cells |journal=International Review of Cytology |date=1970 |volume=29 |pages=29–75 |doi=10.1016/S0074-7696(08)60032-7|isbn=9780123643292 }}</ref>

Animal [[epithelial cells]] have a fuzz-like coating on the external surface of their [[plasma membrane]]s. This viscous coating is the glycocalyx that consists of several carbohydrate [[Functional group|moieties]] of membrane [[glycolipid]]s and [[glycoprotein]]s, which serve as backbone molecules for support. Generally, the [[carbohydrate]] portion of the glycolipids found on the surface of plasma membranes helps these molecules contribute to [[cell–cell recognition]], communication, and intercellular adhesion.<ref>McKinley, M. & V.D. O’Loughlin.  Human Anatomy.  McGraw-Hill, 2012. 3rd ed. p. 30-31.</ref>

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.<ref>Saladin, Kenneth. "Anatomy & Physiology: The unity of form and function." McGraw Hill.  5th Edition. 2010. p. 94-95</ref> The glycocalyx plays a major role in regulation of [[endothelial]] [[Vascular system|vascular tissue]], including the modulation of [[red blood cell]] volume in [[capillaries]].<ref>Reitsma, Sietze. "The endothelial glycocalyx: composition, functions, and visualization." European Journal of Physiology. 2007. Vol. 454. Num. 3. p. 345-359</ref>

The term was initially applied to the polysaccharide matrix coating epithelial cells, but its functions have been discovered to go well beyond that.