What is the Function of the Collagen Fibres?

Collagen in Bones and Blood Vessels: Key Functions and Health Impact

Collagen is essential for your body since it provides strength, support, and a proper structure. It keeps tissues together and preserves the integrity of muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, and bones. It is also crucial for repairing tissue and maintaining the elasticity of skin.

What are collagen fibres?

Collagen fibre is the most prevalent protein in your body. It makes up around 30% of the total protein in your body. The main component of your skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues is collagen. This protein is also found in your blood vessels, organs, and intestinal lining.

Only connective tissue-containing animal flesh, such as meat and fish, naturally contains collagen fibre. Nonetheless, human bodies consume a wide range of plant and animal foods to produce collagen. As you age, your body gradually produces less collagen. Smoking, excessive alcohol use, excessive exposure to the sun, and lack of sleep can reduce collagen.

What is the Most Important Function of Collagen?

The most important function of collagen fibre is to provide strength and support to your body. These are some other important functions of collagen:

• Promoting the formation of fibroblasts in the middle layer of your skin, which promotes the growth of new cells
• Provides structure and elasticity to your skin
• Initiatesthe activation and aggregation of platelets to form a clot (platelet plug)
• Helps to replace dead skin cells
• Give organs a protective coating
• Promotes high tensile strength and relative rigidity

Despite all of these, collagen fibres have special functions for blood vessels and bone matrices that are discussed below.

What is the Function of Collagen Fibres in the Bone Matrix?

Bone has to strike a balance between being strong, stiff, and tough. The mechanical function of collagen fibre is well-suited for this. It is very strong, resistant to shear and strain, and offers a well-organised matrix for mineral apatite crystal formation and deposition as well as water binding.

The two main constituents of bone's extracellular matrix are the inorganic salt hydroxyapatite and collagenous organic components. Inorganic salt hydroxyapatite contributes high compressive strength, and the collagenous organic component gives high tensile strength. The hydroxyapatite crystals are deposited in a highly organized manner along the collagen fibrils, which gives bone its remarkable combination of tensile strength (from collagen) and compressive strength (from mineral).

What is the Function of Collagen Fibres in the Blood Vessels?

Collagen is a structural protein of the blood artery wall. It often exists underneath the cells lining the inner walls of vessels. Damage to a blood artery exposes collagen, which draws platelets from circulation and results in blood clotting. Additionally, collagen is essential for regulating the function of blood vessel wall cells.

Different Types of Collagen

There are around 28 to 30 different types of collagen. They vary in the way the molecules are put together, the cell components that are added, and the biological functions of collagen. The five main types of collagen and their functions are:

• Collagen I: They exist in the bones, tendons, and ligaments. This type of collagen makes up 90% of your entire body’s collagen.
• Collagen II: Collagen II exists in elastic cartilage, which provides joint support.
• Collagen III: This type of collagen exists in muscles, organs, and arteries.
• Collagen IV: This type is a key structural component of the basement membrane, a thin layer that supports epithelial and endothelial cells and provides a filtration barrier in structures like the kidneys and blood vessels.
• Collagen V: Collagen V is present in the placenta’s tissue, the cornea of your eyes, and some skin and hair layers.

What are the Foods That Contain Collagen?

During digestion, dietary collagen is broken down into its constituent amino acids and small peptides, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. These building blocks are used throughout the body for various synthetic processes, including the production of new collagen. However, consuming collagen-rich foods does not guarantee these specific amino acids will be used solely for collagen synthesis; they are allocated based on the body's current needs.

Still, you must consume foods that contain this fibre as part of your healthy diet. High-protein meals contain a large quantity of collagen. They include the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which are necessary for the formation of collagen. Fish, dairy products, meat, eggs, lentils, and soy are a few examples of collagen-rich foods.

Diseases that Damage Collagen

Genetic disorders and dietary deficits impact the processes involved in normal collagen formation. Here is the list of diseases and other factors that damage collagen fibres in your body:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Lupus
• Scleroderma
• Dermatomyositis
• Osteogenesis imperfecta
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Collagen fibres play a crucial role in providing structure and support to your body. You may always eat a balanced diet, including nutritious foods, to assist your body in producing collagen naturally. Chicken, meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, beans, leafy greens, other vegetables, whole grains, and citrus fruits are all components of a well-balanced diet.

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