Collagen - a highly developed and abundant fibrous protein: synthesis and characterization

Collagen is a well-known, highly developed, and abundant fibrous protein found in the extracellular matrix of invertebrates. It is the primary structural protein in eukaryotes and constitutes about 25%–30% of body protein content. It is present in connective tissues, such as the skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. It consists of amino acids and comprises a triple helix of polypeptide chains. Twenty-eight types of collagen have been identified according to their structures and are divided into several groups. This chapter discusses their various structures in detail. Collagen has many biomedical applications due to its excellent biological properties. After briefly describing collagen and its properties and applications, this chapter focuses on the basic structural subunits and various steps in collagen synthesis and characterization.