Elastins, in contrast to collagens, give elasticity to tissues, allowing them to stretch when needed and then return to their original state.

This is useful in blood vessels, the lungs, in skin, and the ligamentum nuchae, and these tissues contain high amounts of elastins. Elastins are synthesized by fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells.

Elastins are highly insoluble, and tropoelastins are secreted inside a chaperone molecule, which releases the precursor molecule upon contact with a fiber of mature elastin. Tropoelastins are then deaminated to become incorporated into the elastin strand.

Disorders such as cutis laxa and Williams syndrome are associated with deficient or absent elastin fibers in the ECM.