collagen

[ kol-uh-juhn ]

nounBiochemistry.
  1. any of a class of extracellular proteins abundant in higher animals, especially in the skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, and teeth, forming strong insoluble fibers and serving as connective tissue between cells, yielding gelatin when denatured by boiling.

Origin of collagen

1
First recorded in 1860–65; from Greek kólla “glue” + -gen

Other words from collagen

  • col·lag·e·nous [kuh-laj-uh-nuhs], /kəˈlædʒ ə nəs/, adjective

Words Nearby collagen

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How to use collagen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for collagen

collagen

/ (ˈkɒlədʒən) /


noun
  1. a fibrous scleroprotein of connective tissue and bones that is rich in glycine and proline and yields gelatine on boiling

Origin of collagen

1
C19: from Greek kolla glue + -gen

Derived forms of collagen

  • collagenic (ˌkɒləˈdʒɛnɪk) or collagenous (kəˈlædʒənəs), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for collagen

collagen

[ kŏlə-jən ]


  1. Any of various tough, fibrous proteins found in bone, cartilage, skin, and other connective tissue. Collagens have great tensile strength, and provide these body structures with the ability to withstand forces that stretch them. Collagens consist of three polypeptide chains arranged in a triple helix, and are bundled together in fibers. When boiled in water, collagen is converted into gelatin.

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