What is collagen made of?

Collagen is primarily composed of three amino acids that are repeated in a characteristic sequence to form its fibrillar structure. These three amino acids are:

  1. Glycine: Glycine makes up about a third of the amino acids in collagen. It is the smallest amino acid and allows for the close packing of collagen molecules.

  2. Proline: Proline also plays an important role in the structure of collagen by contributing to its three-dimensional shape and stabilizing the collagen fibrils.

  3. Hydroxyproline: Hydroxyproline is a modified form of proline and is essential for collagen formation as it contributes to collagen's stability and strength.

These three amino acids occur in a specific order, resulting in a unique structure that characterizes collagen. The repeating sequence of these amino acids forms a triple helix structure and is the basis for collagen's strength and elasticity.

There are up to 28 different types of collagen. The most common and well-known are collagen type I, type II and type III.

Type I collagen: is the most common in the body and is found primarily in skin, bones and tendons and makes up approximately 90% of the body's collagen. Type II collagen: is found in cartilage. Type III collagen: is found in blood vessels and other organs.

You can see more about what specific functions they have in our blog post which collagen is best in skincare.

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