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(Demonstration slide) Elastic connective tissue is present in places where elasticity (or stretching) is important for the organ's function. In the wall of the aorta (as this micrograph shows), elastic fibres are organized in layers (called laminae; "pointers"). In this case, it is the smooth muscle cells that are responsible for producing these fibres in the blood vessel wall. The outer layer of the vessel wall (called tunica adventitia) is made up of dense irregular connective tissue. Brown fat is present on the far left of the micrograph. |
