Table 2.
Type of capillary endothelium | Barrier/transport mechanism | Particle size subject to passage | Typical tissues |
Continuous (non-fenestrated) | Basal lamina membrane supported by collagen | 50-110 nm | Muscle, central nervous system, bone, skin, cardiac muscle |
Fenestrated | Large pores, open fenestrae, intracellular junctions, basal lamina | 50-800 nm | Renal glomeruli, intestinal villi, synovial tissue, endocrine glands, choroid plexus (brain) |
Discontinuous (sinusoidal) | Large pores (fenestrae), pinocytotic vesicles | 1000-10 000 nm | Liver, spleen, bone marrow, postcapillary venules of lymph nodes |