Abstract
Elastic fibers of the connective tissues form a network which is responsible for the elasticity of various organs. The relative concentration of elastic fibers is highest in ligamentum nuchae, and they are abundantly present in aorta and associated blood vessels (Table 1). In adult human skin the elastin content is about 2% (Uitto et al. 1983). By light microscopic examination, the elastic structures in normal human skin can be divided into three different types: oxytalan, elaunin, and the elastic fibers. Distinction between these fibers is based on their staining characteristics and their location in dermis. The oxytalan fibers are the most superficial thin fibers directly perpendicular to the dermal—epidermal junction. The oxytalan fibers are connected to a plexus of fibers termed elaunin fibers. The elaunin fibers in turn are connected with thick elastic fibers in the lower papillary and the reticular dermis. The biochemistry and the structural features of the elastic fibers are understood in general terms, but the biochemical relation of elaunin and oxytalan fibers to the elastic fibers is unclear at the present.
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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Uitto, J. (1986). Elastic Fibers. In: Bereiter-Hahn, J., Matoltsy, A.G., Richards, K.S. (eds) Biology of the Integument. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-00989-5_41
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-00989-5_41
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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