What are anchoring junctions?

They are cells which mechanically attach cells (and their cytoskelentons) to their neighbours or to the extracellular mattrix.

They enable group of cells such as epithelium to resist streching forces by connecting the cytoskeletal elements of a cell either to those of another cell or to the extracellular matrix.

They are most abundant in tissues that are subjected to sever mechanical stress, such as heart muscle and skin epithelium(epithermis)

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