The stellate reticulum is a group of cells

Cell (biology)

The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....

 located in the center of the enamel organ

Enamel organ

The enamel organ, also known as dental organ, is a cellular aggregation seen in histologic sections of a developing tooth. It lies above a condensation of ectomesenchymal cells called the dental papilla...

 of a developing

Tooth development

Tooth development or odontogenesis is the complex process by which teeth form from embryonic cells, grow, and erupt into the mouth. Although many diverse species have teeth, non-human tooth development is largely the same as in humans...

 tooth

Tooth

Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

. These cells are star shaped and synthesize glycosaminoglycan

Glycosaminoglycan

Glycosaminoglycans or mucopolysaccharides are long unbranched polysaccharides consisting of a repeating disaccharide unit. The repeating unit consists of a hexose or a hexuronic acid, linked to a hexosamine .-Production:Protein cores made in the rough endoplasmic reticulum are posttranslationally...

s. As glycosamingoglycans are produced, water

Water

Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

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

Desmosome

A desmosome , also known as macula adherens , is a cell structure specialized for cell-to-cell adhesion...

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