PRESENCE OF FINE ELASTIN FIBRILS WITHIN ELASTIN FIBER OBSERVED BY SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy of critical point dried, enzymically and chemically purified fetal and adult elastin fibers from bovine ligamentum nuchae, showed that the fibers are composed of fine elastin fibrils (110-130 nm diameter). In the fetal tissue the elastin fibers were of relatively uniform thickness and did not bifurcate, but in the adult much thicker, branching fibers were present. During maturation of the elastin fiber, thickening apparently is the result of the aggregation of many fine fibrils, and bifurcations result from bundles of such fibrils crossing over from 1 fiber to another.