collagen
UK /ˈkɒləd͡ʒɪn/ · US /ˈkɑləd͡ʒən/ noun
Forms collagens
- noun (biochemistry) The main structural protein in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissues of many animals.
Etymology
From French collagène, coined from Ancient Greek κόλλα (kólla, “glue”) and -γενής (-genḗs, “-forming”) (see -gen); it is the main substance that animal glues are derived from.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The chemical basis of ordinary connective tissue, as of tendons or sinews and of bone. On being boiled in water it becomes gelatin or glue.
Etymology [Gr. -gen.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “collagen”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details