Elastin

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Elastin

Elastin is a protein

Protein

Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid Residue ....
in connective tissue

Connective tissue

Connective tissue is a form of fibrous biological tissue.It is one of the four types of tissue in traditional classifications .Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% of the total protein content....
that is elastic

Elasticity (physics)

In physics, elasticity is the physical property of a material when it deforms under stress , but returns to its original shape when the stress is removed....
and allows many tissues in the body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting. Elastin helps skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. Elastin is also an important load-bearing tissue in the bodies of mammals and used in places where mechanical energy is required to be stored.

tin is primarily composed of the amino acid

Amino acid

In chemistry, an amino acid is a molecule containing both amine and carboxyl functional groups. These molecules are particularly important in biochemistry, where this term refers to alpha-amino acids with the general formula H2NCHRCOOH, where R is an organic substituent....
s glycine

Glycine

Glycine is the organic compound with the chemical formula NH2CH2COOH. It is the smallest of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins, coded by codons GGU, GGC, GGA and GGG....
, valine

Valine

Valine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2. L-Valine is one of 20 proteogenic amino acids....
, alanine

Alanine

Alanine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula CH3CHCOOH. The L-isomer is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids, i.e. the building blocks of proteins....
, and proline

Proline

Proline is an a-amino acid, one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids. Its codons are CCU, CCC, CCA, and CCG. It is not an essential amino acid, which means that humans can synthesize it....
.

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Encyclopedia

Elastin is a protein

Protein

Connective tissue

Elasticity (physics)

Composition

Elastin is primarily composed of the amino acid

Amino acid

Glycine

Glycine is the organic compound with the chemical formula NH2CH2COOH. It is the smallest of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins, coded by codons GGU, GGC, GGA and GGG....
, valine

Valine

Valine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2. L-Valine is one of 20 proteogenic amino acids....
, alanine

Alanine

Alanine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula CH3CHCOOH. The L-isomer is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids, i.e. the building blocks of proteins....
, and proline

Proline

Proline is an a-amino acid, one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids. Its codons are CCU, CCC, CCA, and CCG. It is not an essential amino acid, which means that humans can synthesize it....
. It is a specialized protein with a molecular weight of 64 to 66 kDa

Atomic mass unit

The unified atomic mass unit , or dalton or, sometimes, universal mass unit, is a Units of measurement of mass used to express atomic weight and molecular masses....
, and an irregular or random coil conformation made up of 830 amino acids.

Elastin is made by linking many soluble tropoelastin

Tropoelastin

Tropoelastin is a Soluble molecule with a molecular weight of approximately 70,000 Atomic mass unit. Multiple tropoelastin molecules covalently bind together with crosslinks to form the protein elastin that is very prevalent in the body....
protein molecules, in a reaction catalyzed

Catalysis

Catalysis is the process in which the reaction rate of a chemical reaction is either increased or decreased by means of a chemical substance known as a catalyst....
by lysyl oxidase

Lysyl oxidase

Lysyl oxidase also known as protein-lysine 6-oxidase is a protein which in humans is encoded by the LOX gene. Its inhibition can cause lathyrism, but at the same time, its upregulation by tumor cells may promote metastasis of the existing tumor, causing it to become malignant and cancer....
, to make a massive insoluble, durable cross-link

Cross-link

Cross-links are bonds that link one polymer chain to another. They can be covalent bonds or ionic bonds. "Polymer chains" can refer to synthetic polymers or natural polymers ....
ed array. The amino acid responsible for these cross-links is lysine

Lysine

Lysine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCH4NH2. This amino acid is an essential amino acid, which means that humans cannot synthesize it....
.

Desmosine

Desmosine

A desmosine cross-link is formed from three allysyl side chains plus one unaltered lysyl side chain from the same or neighbouring polypeptides....
and isodesmosine

Isodesmosine

Isodesmosine is a lysine derivative found in elastin....
are both found in elastin.

Locations in body

Elastin serves an important function in arteries and is particularly abundant in large elastic blood vessels such as the aorta

Aorta

The aorta is the largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation....
. Elastin is also very important in the lung

Lung

The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart....
s, elastic ligaments

Ligament

Ligaments connect bone to bone. In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote three different types of structures:# Fibrous Tissue that connects bones to other bones....
, the skin

Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
, the bladder

Urinary bladder

In anatomy, the urinary bladder is a solid, muscle, and distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor in mammals. It is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys prior to disposal by urination....
, elastic cartilage

Elastic cartilage

Elastic cartilage or yellow cartilage is a type of cartilage present in the outer ear, larynx, and epiglottis. It contains elastic fiber networks and collagen fibers....
, and the intervertebral disc

Intervertebral disc

Intervertebral discs lie between adjacent vertebra in the vertebral column. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together....
above the sacroiliac. It is present in all vertebrates above the jawless fish .

Elastin

Composition

Locations in body

See also

External links

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