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Interstitial cell refers to any one of a number of different types of
cellThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
s characterized by their
interstitialAn interstitial space or interstice is an empty space or gap between spaces full of structure or matter.In particular, interstitial may refer to:-Physical sciences:...
nature (i.e., their interposition between other cells that were usually characterized earlier or more completely.)
Examples include:
- Interstitial cell of Cajal
The Interstitial cell of Cajal is a type of interstitial cell found in the gastrointestinal tract that serves as a pacemaker which creates the basal electrical rhythm leading to contraction of the smooth muscle ....
(ICC)
- Leydig cells, cells present in the male testes responsible for the production of androgen (male sex hormone)
- A portion of the stroma of ovary
The stroma of the ovary is a peculiar soft tissue, abundantly supplied with blood vessels, consisting for the most part of spindle-shaped cells with a small amount of ordinary connective tissue....
- Certain cells in the pineal gland
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate brain. It produces the serotonin derivative melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions...
- Renal interstitial cells