Medical Definition of cell adhesion molecule
: any of various molecules (such as cadherins, integrins, and selectins) on the surface of a cell that bring about adhesion by binding to molecules on the surface of other cells or on extracellular material
Certain of the [extracellular] matrix molecules bind well to specific molecules (cell adhesion molecules) on the growth cones and thus provide anchors for growing axons.— John W. McDonald et al., Scientific American
—abbreviation CAM
— called also adhesion molecule
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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