Oxytalan fibres are a component of the extracellular matrix. They were first described by Fullmer & Lillie (1958) in periodontal membrane

Periodontal membrane

Periodontal membrane may refer to:* The periodontal ligament , largely referred to as the periodontal membrane outside of the United States* An artificial periodontal membrane, used to block the spread of growing epithelium after periodontal surgery....

s. On light microscope examination, these fibres may be distinguished from mature elastic fibers by their failure to stain with aldehyde fuchsin solutions, unless they have been oxidized by potassium permanganate

Potassium permanganate

Potassium permanganate is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula KMnO4. It is a salt consisting of K+ and MnO4− ions. Formerly known as permanganate of potash or Condy's crystals, it is a strong oxidizing agent. It dissolves in water to give intensely purple solutions, the...

, performic acid

Performic acid

Performic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH2O3. It is an unstable colorless liquid which can be produced by mixing formic acid with hydrogen peroxide...

 or peracetic acid.

Under electron microscopy

Electron microscope

An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...

 they appear to be composed of microfibril

Microfibril

The microfibril is a very fine fibril, or fiber-like strand, consisting of glycoproteins and cellulose. It is usually, but not always, used as a general term in describing the structure of protein fiber, examples are hair and sperm tail. Its most frequently observed structural pattern is 9+2...

lar units, 7-20 nm in diameter with a periodicity

Periodic table

The periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...

 of 12-17 nm.

From their morphology

Morphology (biology)

In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....

, localization and staining properties it seems likely that these fibres are an immature form of elastic tissue.

Oxytalan fibers are elastic-like fibers that run parallel to the tooth

Tooth

Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

 surface and bend to attach to cementum

Cementum

Cementum is a specialized calcified substance covering the root of a tooth. Cementum is excreted by cells called cementoblasts within the root of the tooth and is thickest at the root apex. These cementoblasts develop from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in the connective tissue of the dental...

. Fibrillin builts the Oxytalan-fibres, witch causes the elastic behavior.
They can be found on the surface of smooth muscles.

They are largely associated with blood vessel

Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...

s.