Terminal bar

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Terminal bar is a historical term given to the junctional complexes that attach adjacent epithelial cells on their lateral surfaces: the Zonula Occludens, Zonula Adherens, Macula Adherens and Macula Communicans. It is so named because under light microscopy, it appears as a bar at the terminal, or apical surface of epithelial cells. It should not be confused with the Terminal web, which is an actinous web underlying microvilli on specialized epithelial cells.