Gap junctions

Patent Pending A gap junction or nexus or macula communicans is a specialized intercellular connection between a multitude of animal cell-types.[1][2][3] It directly connects the cytoplasm of two cells, which allows various molecules and ions to pass freely between cells.[4][5] One gap junction channel is composed of two connexons (or hemichannels), which connect across the intercellular space.[4][5][6] Gap junctions are analogous to the plasmodesmata that join plant cells.