Epithelial cells, certain muscle cells, and others which lie side by side have specialized connections between them, called a junctional complex. In epithelium this connection is particularly significant because it allows a sheet of cells to create a barrier or semipermeable membrane, thus compartmentalizing a tissue and restricting passage of substances across the epithelium.  (See Review Notes)
	The basement membrane is composed of:
	� basal lamina � a �glue� similar to the glycocalyx
	� reticular lamina � collagen fibers