Which junction type forms a belt-like adhesion around the cell?

• A. Zonula occludens
• B. Zonula adherens
• C. Macula adherens
• D. Hemidesmosomes

Answer: (B)

In epithelial tissues, a belt-like junction that encircles each cell is the zonula adherens. This junction forms a continuous, circumferential belt just below the tight junctions and uses transmembrane cadherin molecules to bind neighboring cells. Inside the cell, cadherins connect to actin filaments via catenins, linking the cells mechanically and allowing coordinated movement and stability of the sheet. The adhesion is calcium-dependent, which is a hallmark of cadherin-mediated junctions.

This belt-like arrangement is distinct from tight junctions (which create a seal at the apical surface rather than a surrounding belt), desmosomes or macula adherens (which are spot-like, connecting intermediate filaments rather than forming a continuous ring), and hemidesmosomes (which anchor the basal cell surface to the basement membrane, not to another cell).