Elastic fibers are bundles of proteins (elastin) found in connective tissue and produced by fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in arteries. These fibers can stretch up to 1.5 times their length, and snap back to their original length when relaxed. A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Elastin, also known as elasticin, is a protein in connective tissue that is elastic and allows skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. ... Connective tissue is any type of biological tissue with an extensive extracellular matrix and often serves to support, bind together, and protect organs. ... A fibroblast is a cell that makes the structural fibers and ground substance of connective tissue. ... Smooth muscle is a type of non-striated muscle, found within the walls of hollow organs; such as blood vessels, bladders, uteri. ... Section of an artery An artery or arterial is also a class of highway. ...
Bundles are formed from covalent cross-linking between two amino acids: desmosine and isodesmosine. Covalent bonding is a form of chemical bonding characterized by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between atoms, in order to produce a mutual attraction, which holds the resultant molecule together. ... In chemistry, an amino acid is any molecule that contains both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. ...
Blood is pumped from the ventricles into large elasticarteries that branch repeatedly into smaller and smaller arteries until the branching results in microscopic arteries called arterioles.
The innermost layer, the tunica intima (also called tunica interna), is simple squamous epithelium surrounded by a connective tissue basement membrane with elasticfibers.
The outermost layer, which attaches the vessel to the surrounding tissue, is the tunica externa or tunica adventitia.
A good diet, (nutritional plan) with sufficient vitamins, as well as proteins are also needed to maintain the elasticity of the skin and the body must function properly to get rid of waste products effectively, in order to keep the body, and also the skin in particular, looking its best.
The dermis gives the skin its elasticity and strength, but it also needs to be protected from the sun and other environmental elements.
The loss of elasticity of the dermis is a feature of aging, characterized by sagging and wrinkling of the skin and here facial exercise can be greatly beneficial to help tone the muscles.