Which protein is primarily associated with skin elasticity and recoil after stretching?

• A. Collagen
• B. Keratin
• C. Elastin
• D. Melanin

Answer: (C)

Elasticity in the skin comes from elastin in the dermis. Elastin forms elastic fibers that stretch when the skin is moved or pulled and then snap back to their original length, giving that recoil after stretching. Collagen provides tensile strength and structure but doesn’t confer the same stretch-and-recover property. Keratin is a structural protein of the epidermis, hair, and nails, and melanin is pigment. So elastin is the protein most closely associated with skin elasticity and recoil.