Lamellar Unit
The lamellar unit of the aorta comprises the components between two parallel elastic lamellae. This Movat pentachrome stain shows the elastic lamella in black. The smooth muscle cells and are dark red. Their nuclei are dark blue/burgundy in color. Between the one elastic lamella and the smooth muscle cell there is connective tissue that binds the elastic lamella to the smooth muscle cells. The connective tissue include fibrous tissue stained yellow in this Movat. The green color is the staining of mucopolysaccharide material (glycosaminoglycans or GAG's). The protein components that make up the connective tissue of this unit include: elastin, collagens, fibrilin, fibulins, emilins and other proteins.
