This electron micrograph shows the basal lamina along the midgut epithelium of the flea. Unlike the vertebrate basal lamina, which appears as a homogenous layer, the basal lamina in insects often appears striated. The inset panel offers a different view of the basal lamina in a section that is parallel to the base of the epithelium. In this view, the basal lamina is organized as a mosaic of elongated dense bodies with rows of smaller dense granules interspersed. Image by Susumu Ito, Figure 24 from Chapter 1 (The Cell Surface) of 'The Cell, 2nd Ed.' by Don W. Fawcett M.D. A PDF copy of the accompanying chapter is available on the ASCB's BioEDUCATE website.