This slide has been stained with Wilder's reticulum method , which is a silver impregnation technique that is more or less specific for reticular fibers. Note that some of these are found in the capsule of the organ as well. The principal role of reticular fibers, here as in other lymphatic organs, is to provide someplace for cells to sit. Elastic CT Elastic CT , as you might expect, is noted for its springiness. It has some collagen fibers in it, but its fibers are principally made of elastin , which is chemically different from collagen.
Elastic fibers have their own characteristic amino acid components, desmosine and isodesmosine .
Elastic CT is very limited in distribution and it's not as well developed in some groups as in others, though all mammals do usually have some of it. To see the ligamentum nuchae, a classic example of elastic connective tissue, click here. This ligament resembles a large rubber band, and you can see it on slide 32, cut in longitudinal section. The fibers are wavy and undulating, and the nuclei between them are not so stretched as those in the tendon. This slide is from a horse.