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Elastic Connective Tissue

Elastic Connective Tissue is characterized by the presence of abundant elastic fibers within the matrix. This tissue may be dispersed within other tissues, such as in an artery where smooth muscle and elastic connective tissue are both present so as to provide the organ with both elastic as well as contractile properties. In this case, the fibrous portion of the connective tissue can be seen by observing the wavy elastic fibers interspersed between the smooth muscle cells. In larger arteries, elastic fibers are seen bundled into large fibrils. Such bundles of elastic fibers are called elastic laminae.

The ability of elastic connective tissue to stretch and then snap back to its original shape by “elastic recoil” is useful in a number of situations. Surrounding the lobes of the lungs, this tissue allows for passive expiration after inflation is complete. In other words, after the lungs have been inflated (like balloons), they will then deflate (as balloons). Hence, during quite breathing, energy for exhalation is not expended.

Also, present in arteries, elastic connective tissue will allow then to expand upon ventricular contraction to accommodate the blood after it has been expelled. Then, once the semilunar valves have shut, the elastic recoil of the arteries will exert pressure upon the blood thereby providing hydrostatic pressure to propel the blood onward