Elastic Fibers in the Human Body

Elastic Fibers in the Human Body

I feel like histology is not only a professional field of study but an art form. It takes a series of different arts to make Human skin look like rope strands holding everything together. Elastic fibers help all different parts of the body bend and flex without breaking. Why then do we age? Could we do quantitative and qualitative tests on elastic fibers at different stages of life? They have so many functions and are found in so many areas in and around the body. I have questions about what elastic fibers look like in people who are 40 verses 10 and 80. Are there more or less? Are they thicker, denser, softer or harder. Do they dry out, become brittle or turn into scar tissue when damaged. I’m sure there are researchers who are in the middle of answering many of these questions. Maybe a pathologist already knows. What do you think?
These pictures are the same skin tissue taken at different powers 10x, 20x, 40x. The elastic fibers are the black thread like structures.


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