Elastin And Collagen Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Elastin And Collagen?

Elastin and collagen are two important structural proteins that play a vital role in the health of skin, tendons, ligaments and other tissues in the human body. Elastin provides flexibility and elasticity to tissues while collagen provides strength and structure. Both proteins are found throughout the body but elastin is more abundant in regions with greater degree of movement such as skin, arteries, lungs and ligaments while collagen is more abundant in areas with less movement such as cartilage, tendons and bone.Elastin is a protein consisting chiefly of polypeptide chains arranged into cross-linked elastic fibers. The elasticity of elastin allows tissues to undergo stretching or compression without breaking or losing their shape. Elastin also helps maintain blood vessel walls by preventing them from expanding too much during times of increased pressure. It also aids in wound healing by allowing tissue to stretch when needed for new cell growth or repair processes. Collagen is an extracellular matrix protein that supports cells from outside their membranes. Collagen makes up around one third of all proteins found within our bodies; it gives structure to organs like the skin, cartilage and tendons as well as providing support for joints between bones. Collagen gives strength to our connective tissue which can be found throughout our bodies including our muscles, ligaments, vessels walls and even teeth. Its fibrous nature makes it ideal for giving tissue its shape whilst still being able to move with us when we do physical activity like running or jumping. Both elastin and collagen are essential components that keep us healthy inside out. They play an important role in maintaining the structural integrity of our skin & joints as well as helping us recover from injuries faster by allowing new cells to grow & repair damaged tissue quickly.