| Basal lamina | |
|---|---|
 Transmission electron micrograph displaying basal lamina that is lining the external surface of cell membrane. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | lamina basalis |
| TA98 | A15.2.03.007 A15.2.03.019 A15.3.03.102 |
| TA2 | 7032 |
| TH | H2.00.00.0.00006 |
| FMA | 62918 |
| Anatomical terms of microanatomy | |
The basal lamina is a layer of extracellular matrix secreted by the epithelial cells, on which the epithelium sits. It is often incorrectly referred to as the basement membrane, though it does constitute a portion of the basement membrane. The basal lamina is visible only with the electron microscope, where it appears as an electron-dense layer that is 20–100 nm thick (with some exceptions that are thicker, such as basal lamina in lung alveoli and renal glomeruli).