user540: I have just created the extra-cellular-matrix tag, because it best describes my question. Besides, even the basal lamina alone is important enough to warrant a tag, and ECM would be the superset of that. I haven't yet checked which existing questions fit this tag, but I'm sure I will find some when I have the time to do so (and if not I can ask a few myself =)).
I realized that there are also some questions about biofilms. A biofilm is "kind of like an ECM for bacteria", so perhaps it could just fall under the extra-cellular-matrix tag. However, I'm not sure if biofilms technically count as ECM.
Does anyone have an opinion on the existing extra-cellular-matrix tag, the hypothetical basal-lamina and biofilm tags, and how they should relate to each other?

user3340: ECM is different from biofilm. Biofilm is a community and a functional biological system in itself (it is not a sort of ECM for bacteria). ECM is not a functional system in itself. You can have an artificial ECM as well (as in the case of coated cell culture flasks). 

540: <p>I have just created the <a href="https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/extra-cellular-matrix"><code>extra-cellular-matrix</code></a> tag, because it best describes my question. Besides, even the basal lamina alone is important enough to warrant a tag, and ECM would be the superset of that. I haven't yet checked which existing questions fit this tag, but I'm sure I will find some when I have the time to do so (and if not I can ask a few myself <code>=)</code>).</p>

<p>I realized that there are also some questions about biofilms. A biofilm is "kind of like an ECM for bacteria", so perhaps it could just fall under the <code>extra-cellular-matrix</code> tag. However, I'm not sure if biofilms technically count as ECM.</p>

<p>Does anyone have an opinion on the existing <code>extra-cellular-matrix</code> tag, the hypothetical <code>basal-lamina</code> and <code>biofilm</code> tags, and how they should relate to each other?</p>
 3340: <p>ECM is different from biofilm. Biofilm is a community and a functional biological system in itself (it is not a sort of ECM for bacteria). ECM is not a functional system in itself. You can have an artificial ECM as well (as in the case of coated cell culture flasks). </p>
