Understand the source comparison
Transcellular versus paracellular transport
Permeability is not solely a between-cell phenomenon. The transcellular route — through the cell itself — handles the regulated absorption of nutrients via specific transporters and receptors, and it is also the route by which some antigens are sampled by spec
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- Permeability is not solely a between-cell phenomenon. The transcellular route — through the cell itself — handles the regulated absorption of nutrients via specific transporters and receptors, and it is also the route by which some antigens are sampled by specialized cells for immune surveillance. When researchers discuss “barrier integrity,” they usually mean the paracellular seal, but a complete picture recognizes that the epithelium is simultaneously a selective absorptive surface. This dual role is precisely why the intestine cannot simply be made “maximally tight”: nutrient uptake and immune sampling require controlled, regulated permeability, and pathology is a matter of dysregulation rather than any permeability at all.