What Is Collagen Protein

 

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, found in the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It is the substance that holds the body together. Collagen forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure. Endogenous collagen is natural collagen, synthesized by the body. Exogenous collagen is synthetic. It comes from an outside source, such as supplements. Endogenous collagen has several important functions. Breakdown and depletion are linked to several health problems. Exogenous collagen is used for medical and cosmetic purposes, including the repair of body tissues.

Here Are Some Key Points About Collagen
Collagen occurs throughout the body, but especially in the skin, bones, and connective tissues. Some types of collagen fibrils, gram-for-gram, are stronger than steel. Production declines with age and exposure to factors such as smoking and UV light can be used in collagen dressings, to attract new skin cells to wound sites. Cosmetic lotions that claim to increase collagen levels are unlikely to do so, as collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin.

Collagen is a hard, insoluble, and fibrous protein that makes up one-third of the protein in the human body. In most collagens, the molecules are packed together to form long, thin fibrils. These act as supporting structures and anchor cells to each other they give the skin strength and elasticity.

There are at least 16 different types of trusted sources of collagen, but 80 to 90 % of them belong to types 1, 2, and 3. These different types have different structures and functions. The collagens in the human body are strong and flexible. In the dermis or the middle layer of skin, collagen helps form a fibrous network of cells called fibroblasts, upon which new cells can grow. It also plays a role in replacing and restoring dead skin cells. 

Some collagens act as protective coverings for delicate organs in the body, such as the kidneys with age, the body produces less trusted sources of collagen the structural integrity of the skin declines wrinkles form, and joint cartilage weakens.