Which of the following statements are correct? Explain your answers.

A. Gap junctions connect the cytoskeleton of one cell to that of a neighboring cell or to the extracellular matrix.

B. A wilted plant leaf can be likened to a deflated bicycle tire.

C. Because of their rigid structure, proteoglycans can withstand a large amount of compressive force.

D. The basal lamina is a specialized layer of extracellular matrix to which sheets of epithelial cells are attached.

E. Epidermal cells in the skin are continually shed and are renewed every few weeks; for a tattoo to be long-lasting, it is therefore necessary to deposit pigment below the epidermis.

F. Although stem cells are not differentiated, they are specialized in the sense that they give rise only to specific cell types.