Collagen is associated with human connective tissue. In fact, connective tissue is made up of different types of collagen, which is the most important element of connective tissue cells. Teeth, tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, and the largest organ in humans – the skin – are all made of a protein called collagen.
What is collagen?
Collagen means “glue-producing.” This comes from the fact that collagen was originally used as a glue. Collagen is a protein molecule, and collagens are understood to be a group of diverse proteins. The longer protein chains are an important element of the extracellular matrix , the tissue component between cells. It consists of amino acids. Predominantly, the two amino acids proline and glycine are found in the collagen molecule. They are both non-essential, which means that they cannot be taken in with food, but can be produced from substances found in the body. In addition, collagen has a proportion of amino acids with additional built-in groups – the hydroxyl groups. Due to the hydroxyl groups, stable cross-linking of the proteins is possible and a collagen matrix is formed.
Medical and health functions, tasks, and meanings.
Collagen, as a significant fibrous component of many body structures, has some tasks to perform. So far, some types of collagen, which differ in their molecular structure, have been discovered. When one speaks of general collagen, one usually means collagen I. This structural protein makes up more than 25% of the total amount of proteins in the human body. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is of enormous importance for the formation of collagen. Without vitamin C, hydroxylation (the incorporation of hydroxyl groups) could not take place. Furthermore, it provides for the regulation of the nutrient balance of the skin. If enough collagen is present, the skin appears firm, healthy and young. This is also one of the reasons why human skin ages. Over time, the amount of collagen in the body steadily decreases, which causes skin aging, loss of elasticity and a reduction in tensile strength. Wrinkles develop. Collagen serves as a moisture reservoir for the skin, is responsible for elasticity and ensures the renewal of skin cells. With the help of collagen, oxygen is absorbed by cells and carbon dioxide is eliminated. In a way, the skin is provided with a pollutant repellent protection. The eye is also protected by the collagen-containing cornea. In the human bones, which account for 50% of the total collagen in the body, it provides strength and at the same time elasticity. Through a proper interaction of the two complementary elements, collagen provides support and flexibility to the bone. Thus, it is an important building material of bones, hair, fingernails and joints. Collagen makes cartilage more resistant to pressure, gives ligaments resistance to tearing, and protects other organs and blood vessels. This makes maintaining a high concentration of collagen all the more important.
Diseases, ailments and disorders
Collagen is an important building material of the human body because of its many functions and a proportion of about 30% of a person’s total weight. In the case of collagen deficiency, many pathological disorders, known as collagenoses, can occur. Rheumatic fever and chronic articular rheumatism are among the diseases caused by changes in connective tissue. Tissues containing collagen, mainly joints, the heart and upper layers of the skin are affected, show pathological changes. Due to possible changes in different areas, the complaints are varied and range from fatigue to joint pain to fever. If changes are observed in the collagen-containing tissue of the blood vessels, it may be the rare collagenosis “periarteriitis nodosa”. Overall, the collagenoses are counted among the autoimmune diseases, since the defense system is directed against its own tissue structures. The most common collagenoses include rheumatic diseases such as chronic polyarthritis, Bechterew’s disease and various arterial inflammations. These diseases are associated with inflammatory bodily processes and cause a wide variety of symptoms. Increasingly, collagen is used in the form of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement or in cosmetics, which is supposed to give strength and flexibility to connective tissue or a better hair structure.It is also used in the form of gelatin in medicines.
