Library · Molecule
Collagen
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Collagen is a protein, and one of the most abundant we have: it is the material that supports tissues and organs and gives them their shape. There are several types, and type I alone already accounts for more than ninety percent of all the collagen in the body.
Its shape explains its strength. Each molecule is three long chains wound around one another in a triple helix. For them to fit that tightly, a small amino acid, glycine, occupies every third spot along the chain. They are three threads braided into a rope: it holds because it is braided.
The cells that make it are the fibroblasts, the cells of connective tissue. During assembly, two of its amino acids, proline and lysine, need a chemical touch-up called hydroxylation, and that step depends on vitamin C.
If the vitamin is missing, the step fails and scurvy appears, which may cause bleeding gums and wounds that heal poorly.
In brief
Collagen is a very abundant protein that supports tissues and organs; type I accounts for more than 90% of the total.
Each molecule is three long chains wound into a triple helix, with glycine in every third position to allow that tight packing.
Three threads braided into a rope: it holds because it is braided.
Fibroblasts make it, and the hydroxylation of proline and lysine depends on vitamin C.
When that vitamin is lacking, hydroxylation fails and scurvy appears, which may include bleeding gums and poor wound healing.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingBiochemistry, Collagen Synthesis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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