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(biology) A structure (half of a desmosome) on the basal surface of some cells.

Ultrastructure of tracheal hemidesmosomes in mice. In a normal mouse (a) there are well-defined, organized hemidesmosomes with darkened areas in the lamina densa abutting the hemidesmosome (arrows). In contrast, hemidesmosomes in Lamc2 -/- tracheas (b) are less organized, the intracellular component is more diffuse, and the lamina densa directly below the hemidesmosomal areas lacks the electron density seen in the littermate control (arrows). From Nguyen et al., 2006.