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As a springy and highly flexible connective tissue, elastic cartilage is found in specific places, primarily in the pinnae (or auricles) of the outer ear, shaping the folds which efficiently channel sound waves towards the inner ear.
Elastic tissue is a type of connective tissue proper with an extracellular matrix containing a mixture of densely packed elastic and collagen fibers in a viscous (thick) ground substance.
Connective tissues perform many functions in the body, but most importantly, they support and connect other tissues; from the connective tissue sheath that surrounds muscle cells, to the tendons that attach muscles to bones, and to the skeleton that supports the positions of the body.
Dense connective tissue proper is richer in fibers and may be regular, with fibers oriented in parallel as in ligaments and tendons, irregular, with fibers oriented in several directions, or elastic, with a large amount of the protein elastin embedded within the fibers.
The amorphous ground substance is a gelatinous material surrounding the fibers and permitting extracellular fluid to diffuse through. The collagen and elastic fibers of connective tissue proper are histologically distinguishable as three fiber types: collagen, reticular, and elastic fibers.
Elastic fibers are prominent in elastic tissues found in skin and the elastic ligaments of the vertebral column. Reticular fiber is also formed from the same protein subunits as collagen fibers; however, these fibers remain narrow and are arrayed in a branching network.
Elastic fibers are made from the protein elastin, giving stretching and bending properties to tissues. They are mostly found within the walls of large blood vessels , elastic cartilages , yellow ligaments, lungs and skin .
Connective tissue is found between other tissue types and organs. It contains high quantities of water, several types of cells, and a fibrous extracellular matrix. The connective tissue of an organ is usually referred to as the stroma.
Connective tissue is found throughout the body in a range of locations including tendons, ligaments, skin, membranes, elastic tissue, and others. It helps support and protect the body's organs and tissues.
Histology Guide. Tissue_types. Connective. Fibres - Collagen and elastin. What are the fibres for? The extracellular matrix contains fibres made out of protein. The fibres can vary in diameter, and in the way in which they are 'woven' into a network.