Collagen & amino acids

Fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) and osteoblasts (bone tissue cells) mainly produce type I and III collagen. Chondrocytes (cells of the cartilage tissue) mainly produce type II collagen.

During collagen synthesis by the various cells, over 1000 amino acids are strung together to form a long chain, which represents the polypeptide chain, also known as procollagen. When three of these amino acid chains wind around each other, the characteristic triple helix is formed and this is referred to as a tropocollagen unit. If several tropocollagen units are tightly packed together, thin collagen fibrils are initially formed. The thicker collagen fibres are then formed by further stacking.

Collagen fibres can be imagined as a kind of rope consisting of several individual fibres twisted into a thick bundle. In the skin and other tissues, the fibres then cross-link to form a collagen scaffold, which gives the skin tension. The more collagen fibres give your skin support, the firmer it is.

The body can also be supported with antioxidants, such as vitamin C, and by taking amino acids. This is because amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. The collagen polypeptide chains are also formed from them. These in turn form procollagen and ultimately collagen.