Final answer:
Adhesive junctions anchor intermediate filaments and sometimes link to the actin cytoskeleton. Intermediate filaments resist tension and maintain cell structure, while microfilaments are involved in muscle contractions and tight junctions prevent chemical movement between cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Adhesive junctions in animal cells are specialized structures that ensure cells adhere to each other within a tissue. Of the choices provided, adhesive junctions primarily anchor intermediate filaments and, in some junctions like desmosomes, they play a role in linking to the actin cytoskeleton as well. Intermediate filaments are crucial for maintaining cell shape and resisting tension forces that could pull cells apart. They also help in anchoring the nucleus and other organelles within a cell.
The ability of cytoskeletal components to disassemble and reform quickly is characteristic of microfilaments and microtubules. The component among the cytoskeleton that does not play a role in intracellular movement is the intermediate filament. They provide the cell with mechanical strength.
When discussing the contraction of muscles, this is primarily due to the action of microfilaments, or actin filaments, which work together with the protein myosin to produce muscle contraction.
Tight junctions are the type of junctions that prevent the movement of chemicals between two adjacent animal cells. Gap junctions, on the other hand, are formed by proteins called connexins that create channels allowing for intercellular communication.