Elastic cartilage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elastic cartilage
The auricula. Lateral surface.
Gray's subject #68 279
Dorlands/Elsevier c_12/12216650

Elastic cartilage is a type of cartilage present in the outer ear, larynx, and epiglottis which contains fibers made of elastin.

Elastic cartilage, histologically is similar to hyaline cartilage but contains a plethora of elastic fibers. These fibers form bundles that appear dark under a microscope. These fibers give elastic cartilage great flexibilty so that it is able to withstand repeated bending. It is found in the epiglottis (part of the larynx) and the pinnae (the external ear flaps of many mammals including man).

[edit] External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.