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Carnegie Stage   Figure

Contact area

Contact area

High power TEM of the same contact area of the stage 4 embryo in vitro shown in Figure 10. Measuring bar = 600 nm. See arrowhead in Figure 10. Notice apical junctional complex and desmosomes between penetrating trophoblast cell (T) and cultured endometrial epithelial cells (E). The apical plasma membrane of E is not in contact with T. No cytoplasmic specializations are present in E where there is contact.

From: Bentin-Ley et al., 2000. Reproduced with permission of the Society for Reproduction and Fertility.


Keywords: apical junctional complex, apical plasma membrane, cytoplasmic specializations, desmosomes, stage 4 embryo, trophoblast cells


Source: The Virtual Human Embryo.