Specializations of the retinochoroidal juncture.
The occurrence of attachment sites between the basal plasma membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium and its basement lamina have been observed in a variety of animal species, including man. Similar structures connect adjacent basal infoldings of the retinal pigment epithelium. The topographic distribution of such attachment sites and basal infoldings in rat eyes show small differences between the peripapillary, posterior, and peripheral retina. Such attachment sites may help to provide a firm connection between the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid.
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002415:Cats; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002829:Choroid / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004285:Dogs; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000648:ultrastructure*