Other forms: collagens
Collagen is the protein that keeps skin firm. Collagen production, a collagen supplement, boost collagen.
It is the most abundant protein in the body and the main structural material of skin, tendon, bone and cartilage. Production falls with age, which is why skin loses firmness. Eating collagen does not deliver it to the skin intact — it is digested like any other protein — which is the whole difficulty with the supplement industry. Note that gelatine is collagen broken down by heat.
1nouncollagenThe protein that gives skin and tissue structure.
“Collagen makes up about a third of the body's protein.”
collagen is a structural protein.
French collagène joins Greek kolla, glue, to -gen, forming. It is named because animal glue is made from it, which is exactly what gelatine is.
Ancient Greek
κόλλα — glue
French
collagène
English, today
collagen
Built from
From French collagène, coined from Ancient Greek κόλλα (“glue”) and -γενής (“-forming”) (see -gen); it is the main substance that animal glues are derived from.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA