brush border

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. a dense array of microvilli projecting from the surface of certain epithelial tissues, as the lining of the intestinal tract.

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brush border British  

noun

1. physiol a layer of tightly packed minute finger-like protuberances on cells that line absorptive surfaces, such as those of the intestine and kidney See also microvillus

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Etymology

Origin of brush border

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brush border

The disaccharides are broken down into monosaccharides by enzymes called maltases, sucrases, and lactases, which are also present in the brush border of the small intestinal wall.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Simple cuboidal cells form this tubule with prominent microvilli on the luminal surface, forming a brush border.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

There are around 200 million microvilli per square millimeter of small intestine, which contain brush border enzymes that complete the digestion of carbohydrates and proteins.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Although their small size makes it difficult to see each microvillus, their combined microscopic appearance suggests a mass of bristles, which is termed the brush border.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Intestine epithelium cells have a "brush border," a structure that is present only in cells specialized for absorption and that is assumed to have arisen as a result of the activity of certain intestine-cell genes.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 9, 2012