44 



HANDBOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY* 



ally marked by one or more lines or stripes when viewed longitudinally. 

 This appearance is really produced by the wing-like processes of the 

 cell which project away from the chief part of the cell in different di- 

 rections. These processes not being in the same plane as the body of 

 the cell are out of focus and give rise to these bright stripes are looked 

 at from above and are in focus. 



The branched character of the cells is seen in transverse section in 

 fig. 43. 



(b) Yellow Elastic Tissue. 



Distribution. In the ligamentum nuchae of the ox, horse, and many 

 other animals; in the ligamenta subflava of man; in the arteries, con- 

 stituting the fenestrated coat of Henle; in veins; in the lungs and tra- 



Fig. 41. 



Fig. 42. 



Fig. 41. Mature white fibrous tissue of tendon, consisting mainly of fibres with a few scattered 

 fusiform cells. (Strieker.) 



Fig. 42. Caudal tendon of young rat, showing the arrangement, form, and structure of the 

 tendon cells. X 300. (Klein.) 



chea; in the stylo-hyoid, thyro-hyoid, and crico-thyroid ligaments; in 

 the true vocal chords; and in areolar tissue. 



Structure. Elastic tissue occurs in various forms, from a structure- 

 less, elastic membrane to a tissue whose chief constituents are bundles 

 of fibres crossing each other at different angles; when seen in bundles 

 elastic fibres are yellowish in color, but individual fibres are not so dis- 

 tinctly colored. The varieties of the tissue may be classified as follows : 



(a.) Fine elastic fibrils, which branch and anastomose to form a net- 

 work : this variety of elastic tissue occurs chiefly in the skin and mucous 

 membranes, in subcutaneous and submucous tissue, in the lungs and 

 true vocal cords. 



(b.) Thick fibres, sometimes cylindrical, sometimes flattened like 

 tape, which branch, anastomose and form a network: these are seen 

 most typically in the ligamenta subflava and also in the ligamentum 



