Basement membrane in health and disease- an enigma to histopathologist

Basement membrane is known to play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory, tumor invasion, metastases and autoimmune diseases. A basement membrane (BM) is a thick sheet of extracellular matrix molecules, upon which epithelial cells attach and form a boundary between epithelium and the connective tissue. It also provides structural support for epithelial, mesothelial, and endothelial cells and surrounds adipocytes, muscles and Schwann cells. This literature review describes terminologies, histology, ultrastructure, molecular aspects, functions and histochemical studies of basement membrane in health and disease.