Medical research

Mechanisms behind aggressive cancer metastases uncovered

Breast cancer spreading to other organs usually heralds a poorer prognosis. Researchers at the University and University Hospital of Basel have discovered a process that helps breast cancer cells implant themselves in certain ...

Inflammatory disorders

From grave to cradle: Collagen-induced gut cell reprogramming

Most cells have a pretty normal life: they're born, they grow, they get old, and they die. But the Benjamin Buttons of the cellular world can go from old to young again in the right context. Now, researchers from Japan have ...

Medical research

High-energy X-rays leave a trace of destruction in bone collagen

A team of medical researchers at Charité-Universitätsmedizin has analyzed damage by focused high energetic X-rays in bone samples from fish and mammals at BESSY II. With a combination of microscopy techniques, the scientists ...

Medical research

Collagen a key player in breast cancer metastasis

Collagen type XII plays a key role in regulating the organization of the tumor matrix, reveals a new study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. A team of scientists led by Associate Professor Thomas Cox, Head of ...

page 1 from 16

Collagen

Collagen /ˈkɒlədʒɨn/ is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content. Collagen, in the form of elongated fibrils, is mostly found in fibrous tissues such as tendon, ligament and skin, and is also abundant in cornea, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, the gut, and intervertebral disc. The fibroblast is the most common cell which creates collagen.

In muscle tissue, it serves as a major component of the endomysium. Collagen constitutes one to two percent of muscle tissue, and accounts for 6% of the weight of strong, tendinous muscles. Gelatin, which is used in food and industry, is collagen that has been irreversibly hydrolyzed.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA