**Biophysical Properties of the Basal Lamina: A Highly Selective Extracellular Matrix**

Fabienna Arends and Oliver Lieleg

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/62519

#### **Abstract**

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202 Composition and Function of the Extracellular Matrix in the Human Body

p. 1014–23.

In this chapter, we discuss a specialized version of the extracellular matrix, the basal lamina. We focus on biophysical approaches which helped in identifying the mechanis‐ tic principles that allow the basal lamina to act as a selective permeability barrier. We discuss the physicochemical interactions that entail binding of molecules or nanoparti‐ cles to the basal lamina matrix and outline physiological scenarios where altered selective permeability properties of the basal lamina might contribute to physiological (mal) function.

**Keywords:** laminin, collagen, entactin, microstructure, viscoelastic properties, perme‐ ability
