The stellate reticulum is a group of cells located in the center of the

enamel organ The enamel organ, also known as the dental organ, is a cellular aggregation seen in a developing tooth and it lies above the dental papilla. The enamel organ which is differentiated from the primitive oral epithelium lining the stomodeum.The ename ...

of a developing

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

. These cells are star-shaped and synthesize

glycosaminoglycan Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) or mucopolysaccharides are long, linear polysaccharides consisting of repeating disaccharide units (i.e. two-sugar units). The repeating two-sugar unit consists of a uronic sugar and an amino sugar, except in the case ...

s. As glycosaminoglycans are produced,

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

is drawn in between the cells, stretching them apart. As they are moved further away from one another, the stellate reticular cells maintain contact with one another through

desmosome A desmosome (; "binding body"), also known as a macula adherens (plural: maculae adherentes) (Latin for ''adhering spot''), is a cell structure specialized for cell-to-cell adhesion. A type of junctional complex, they are localized spot-like adh ...

s, resulting in their unique appearance. The stellate reticulum is lost after the first layer of enamel is laid down. This brings cells in the inner enamel epithelium closer to blood vessels at the periphery.

References

* Orbans Oral histology and embryology – 10th ed. * Cate, A.R. Ten. Oral Histology: development, structure, and function. 5th ed. 1998. . * Ross, Michael H., Gordon I. Kaye, and Wojciech Pawlina. Histology: a text and atlas. 4th edition. 2003. . Tooth development {{dentistry-stub