Elastic fibers

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.

Bundles are formed from covalent cross-linking between two amino acids: desmosine and isodesmosine.

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See also: Elastic fibers, Amino acid, Artery, Biochemistry, Connective tissue, Covalent, Elastin, Fibroblast, Protein