83.The structure responsible for the linkage of the intermediate filament
network of cells to the basal lamina is which of the following?
a. Macula adherens
b. Zonula adherens
c. Hemidesmosomes
d. Focal contacts
e. Zonula occludens
84.A 42-year-old woman, of Mediterranean descent, presents with multi-
ple oral blisters (see photograph), which she says have been present for
several months, and a few cutaneous blisters on her back and buttocks that
she just noticed over the past week. The bullae are fairly superficial, with
the site of skin disruption clearly in the epidermis. Vesicles are fragile and
some have unroofed and led to ulcerated lesions. The Nikolsky’s sign is
positive. Analysis of her sera indicates autoantibodies to a subfamily of cad-
herins with the distribution shown in the immunofluorescence image (see
photomicrograph). You are asked to review the electron micrographs of the
biopsy. Where would you expect to find the lesion?
160 Anatomy, Histology, and Cell Biology
(Micrograph courtesy of Dr. David A. Sirois)