Question

Diapedesis is the movement of white blood cells through intact blood vessel walls into surrounding body tissue. It typically happens when an area of the body is injured or damaged, and an inflammation response is required. What role would you expect cell adhesion molecules to play in this process?

Answer 1

Answer:

Cell adhesion molecules would help white blood cells to stick to the wall of the blood vessel, so they can permeate across the wall and go into the underlying injured tissue.

Explanation:

The cell adhesion molecules, also called CAMs, are a type of cell adhesion proteins on the cell's surface, they take part in the binding of other types of cells and work together with the extracellular matrix in the process of cell adhesion.  

Long story short, the protein helps cells stick together or to the surrounding tissues, thus helping on the maintenance of tissue structure and function. In fully grown mammals (including humans), CAMs play an important and key role in creating force and movement, thus assuring the organs are able to execute their function.

In their role as "molecular glue", CAMs are important participants in the cellular mechanisms of growth, contact inhibition, apoptosis and diapedesis, and when their behavior goes haywire, they are associated with afflictions going from frostbite to cancer.