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Paneth cells—guardians of the gut cell hatchery

Protection of the small intestine from harmful bacteria is a never-ending job. Paneth cells of the intestinal crypts function as prime producers of defensins in response to the microbial onslaught of the gut.

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Figure 1: The relationship of small intestinal crypts (bottom) to villi (top).

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Ganz, T. Paneth cells—guardians of the gut cell hatchery. Nat Immunol 1, 99–100 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/77884

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