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, September 1999—abbreviation CAM; called also adhesion molecule