Role of glycocalyx when cells interact with their environment

However cell interact directly or indirectly, the glycocalyx is always involved. The best understood of the participating glycocalyx molecules fall into two major families- cell adhesion molecules and plasma membrane receptors.

The cell adhesion molecules play important roles in embryonic development and wound repair. These sticky glycoproteins act as "Velcro" cells use to attach themselves to molecules in the extracellular space and to each other, the "arms" that migrating cells use to haul themselves past one another, SOS signals sticking out from the blood vessel ling that rally protective white blood cells to a nearby infected or injured area, and mechanical sensors that respond to local tension at the cell surface by stimulating synthesis or degradation of adhesive membrane junctions.

A large and diverse group of integral proteins and glycoproteins that serve as binding sites are collectively known as membrane receptors. Some function in contact signaling, others in electrical signaling, and others in chemical signaling.