In skin, the cells of the epidermis connect to the basal lamina through cellular junctions known as hemidesmosomes. Select the cytoskeletal element that helps maintain the integrity of this connection. intermediate filaments both intermediate microtubules and microfilaments microfilaments only microtubules only

The correct answer is ''intermediate filaments.''

Explanation:

The intermediate filaments are made up of thick and resistant protein fibers, with an intermediate thickness between that of the microfilaments and that of the microtubules. They provide mechanical resistance to the cell, avoiding the rupture of the membranes of the cells subjected to stress. The macromolecules that make up the basal lamina interact specifically with specific receptor proteins present in the plasma membrane of the cell base, which in turn interact in the cytoplasm with filaments of the cell cytoskeleton. When the junction is associated with intermediate filaments, it is a hemidesmosome and when it is the actin cytoskeleton that is anchored in the junction, it is focal contacts. Hemidesmosomes are formed by a dense plate attached to the cell membrane, in which the intermediate filaments are inserted by joining connection proteins, such as desmoplakin, which connect to the cytoplasmic portion of the integral proteins of the cell membrane, which belong to the family of integrins.

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