Laminin

Okay folks, biology lesson today. Let's talk about my favorite protein, Laminin.

They [Laminin] are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every animal tissue. [1]

Basement membranes are basically dense layers of protein sheets found underneath organs, like your lungs, or your blood vessels, or even your skin.

The laminin in basement membranes is produced by many different cells, and is involved in just as many activities, like cell adhesion, migration and differentiation, embryonic development, and forming or re-forming blood vessels during healing of wounds. [2]

Laminin is pretty much what's holding your body together, and repairing it.

Great stuff isn't it? In other words, without laminin, you're fu (i believe the technical term is) screwed.


But that's not all. You know what really gets me about laminin?

Take a look.


Incredible huh?

There's a video about it on youtube by Louie Giglio.


Now to practice my referencing skillz.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminin, 29 May 2008.
   
2. Li J, Zhang Y-P, Kirsner RS. Angiogenesis in wound repair: Angiogenic growth factors and the extracellular matrix. (2003)