mesenchyme cell


mesenchyme cell

One of the two basic somatic cell lineages -- the other being epithelial cells. In contrast to epithelial cells, mesenchyme cells are not polarized and are frequently motile. In the early embryo, mesenchyme cells fill many of the spaces enclosed by epithelia. Later, mesenchyme cells will secrete the space-filling extracellular matrix molecules, such as collagen and glycoproteins, that characterize connective tissue. See also: cell