Basement membrane

The basement membrane, also known as the basal lamina, is a specialized form of extracellular matrix (ECM) common to all multicellular animals. It is a very thin, flexible, and strong sheet-like type of ECM that provides a supporting base for all types of epithelial tissue, separates it from another cell layer such as endothelium, and anchors it to the underlying connective tissue (stroma).

A basement membrane also surrounds some individual cells, including muscle cells, fat cells, and Schwann cells, separating them from surrounding connective tissue. Its composition can vary from tissue to tissue, and even in different regions of the same tissue. The other type of ECM is the interstitial matrix. The basement membrane may be described as having two layers or laminae, an external basal lamina, facing the epithelium, and an internal basal lamina that faces the connective tissue. These two laminae are also known as the basal lamina and the reticular lamina.

The basement membrane also acts as a platform for complex cell signaling, for polarization, migration, and differentiation. It also regulates the exchange of materials between the epithelium and underlying tissues; binds growth factors from the connective tissue to the epithelium that control the development of epithelium. Epithelial cells are pressed closely together having no blood vessels between them but their basement membrane mostly rests on a bed of loose connective tissue that is rich in blood vessels providing nutrients and removing waste.