Structure and Properties of Ground Substances

Studies of arthropods and other animals including man have revealed that the interstitium, cytoplasm, and nucleus each contain a matrix or ground substance composed of various biopolymers. The extracellular ground substance consists of chains of glycosaminoglycan molecules which may be linked with hyaluronate to form supramolecular complexes called proteoglycans. The cytoplasmic ground substance contains microtubules, microfilaments, microtrabeculae, and intermediate filaments, and constitutes a movable cytoskeleton. This framework interconnects the cell surface, the various organelles, and the nuclear envelope. The nuclear matrix consists of a peripheral pore complex lamina and an internal matrix.