collagen
The principal constituent of the fiber-network
layer of hides and skins used in producing
leather. Collagen is organized in long, wavy
bundles which vary in diameter from abut one to
twenty microns. These bundles branch in a complex
and random manner to form a three dimensional
network upon which many of the qualities of
leather depend, and it is this complex network of
fibers which provides leather with its unique
character.
Collagen is a protein of the scleroprotein class,
which is the most important constituent of the
connective tissue of an animal. The molecules (14
X 2900 Å) appear to comprise a triple helix
of linear polypeptide strands, composed of
glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. When
collagen is boiled in water, the strands separate
and undergo partial hydrolysis, yielding gelatin.
(291 , 363 )
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