Elastic cartilage
| Elastic cartilage | |
|---|---|
 Lateral side of the auricle | |
| Details | |
| Part of | Outer ear, Eustachian tube and epiglottis |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Cartilago elastica |
| MeSH | D051472 |
| TH | H2.00.03.5.00018 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Elastic cartilage or yellow cartilage is a type of cartilage present in the outer ear, Eustachian tube and epiglottis. It contains elastic fiber networks and collagen type II fibers.[1] The principal protein is elastin.
Structure
Elastic cartilage is histologically similar to hyaline cartilage but contains many yellow elastic fibers lying in a solid matrix. These fibers form bundles that appear dark under a microscope. These fibers give elastic cartilage great flexibility so that it is able to withstand repeated bending. The chondrocytes lie between the fibres. It is found in the epiglottis (part of the larynx), the pinnae (the external ear flaps of many mammals). Elastin fibers stain dark purple/black with Verhoeff's stain.
Function
- Provide support[citation needed]
- Maintain shape
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 279 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
- ^ "Elastic cartilage". Medline Plus/Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
External links
- Histology image: 12_02 at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center - "epiglottis"
- Histology image: 02901loa – Histology Learning System at Boston University
- Histology at ucsd.edu
- Anatomy Atlases - Microscopic Anatomy, plate 03.42
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