Help in glycocalyx negative charge

[a_zed24]

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Hello everyone, sorry i'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question.
My Physiology book says one of the glycocalyx functions is to repel negative charges (since it's negatively charged itslef).
My question is, why does a cell need to repel negative charges in the first place?
Thanks!

 

[tensoranalysis]

this is a good question. "Why" as Dr. Feynman put it, is the hardest question to answer. We can speculate. The glycocalyx as you think of it , exists on lumenal, also called "apical" surfaces. That is, it is the surface that forms the lining of tubes (e.g. blood vessels, ducts). We want things in the lumen to flow smoothly, and so we repel things that may rub the surface of the cell : proteins , red and white blood cells, and platelets, all of which are also negatively charged. This is one of many possible explanations.

Not all cell surfaces are repulsive in nature : recall that there are adhesive junctions between cells. This separates the apical and basolateral cell surfaces. To my knowledge, glycocalyx is excluded at these junctions, but correct me if I am wrong.

 

[a_zed24]

I see now, thanks tensoranalysis, your answer helped a lot!