Arrangement of elastic fibres in the integument of domesticated mammals.

The study examined the arrangement of elastic fibers in the skin of 12 domesticated mammal species using various microscopy techniques. It found a basic construction scheme of elastic fiber meshwork in the upper and mid-dermis, influenced by hair follicle size, number, and grouping. Densely-haired species exhibited a typical elastic mat with horizontal fibers, while sparsely-haired animals had a sponge-like elastic system. In large species with collagen-rich skin, the lower dermis had a loosely-structured elastic network, with thick elastic sheets near the hypodermis. The arrangement varied based on mechanical strain, body region, hair follicle density, and the anchoring of hair follicles, blood vessels, and nerves.