Of which substance do elastic fibers of the connective tissue are made? What are some functions of these fibers?
The elastic fibers are made of a protein called elastin. Elastic fibers abound in artery walls, helping the maintenance of the arterial blood pressure in these vessels. They are also present in the lungs, providing them with elasticity (some respiratory diseases are caused by destruction of these fibers). In many other organs and tissues the elastic fibers are found in the interstitial matrix.
