[3] These fibers give elastic cartilage great flexibility so that it is able to withstand repeated bending.

[2] Chondrocytes and the extracellular matrix are contained in an outerlayer named the perichondrium[2] (which is a layer of dense irregular connective tissue that surrounds cartilage which is independent of the joint).

The extracellular matrix contains Elastin, fibrillin, glycoproteins, collagen types II, IX, X, and XI, and the proteoglycan aggrecan.

[2] Collagen fibers form networks to provide strength and structural framework for the molecules within the extracellular matrix.

[2] List of distinct cell types in the adult human body This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 279 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)