The human body requires every nutrient in a minute or macro quantity; thus, they are also classified as micro and macronutrients. There are several sub polymers of the carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats that are required by our body and are breakdown within it.
The key sources for the several nutrients are different, and there is no such food fulfilling the full-body nutrient requirement single-handed way. Therefore, it is advised to take a proper and complete rich nutrient diet for every individual.
Collagen vs Hyaluronic Acid
The difference between Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid is that Collagen is a polymer of protein and is made up of long spiral chains of peptide bonds. Each peptide chain is made with 19 to 105 amino acids in it. Also, collagen is a protein that is insoluble and can’t be absorbed or digested in the body. While comparatively, on the other hand, Hyaluronic Acid is the biopolymer of carbohydrates. It is a mucopolysaccharide and is linear and insoluble.
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Collagen is a protein that is considered the key protein present in the human connective tissue. The word collagen is originated from the Greek word ‘kola’ meaning ‘glue’ and the other Greek word ‘-gen’, meaning the ‘production’.
The molecular mass of the collagen protein is 300-400 kDa, and the collagen protein is found in mammals, solely in animals.
Hyaluronic Acid is known to be a biopolymer of carbohydrates. It is a linear and insoluble mucopolysaccharide.
The word hyaluronic acid originated from the Greek word ‘hyalos’, which means glass. The hyaluronic acid is formed by the repetitive units of two types of disaccharides units called D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine, and both the repetitive disaccharide units are linked to each other by the glycosidic bonds.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Collagen | Hyaluronic Acid |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Key protein in the human connective tissue | Biopolymer of carbohydrate and is known as mucopolysaccharide. |
| Occurrence | In mammals, solely or mainly in the animals. | Synthesize by every living organism except the algae |
| Chemical Structure | Long spiral peptide chain made up of 19 to 105 amino acids. | Long linear chain made up of repeat bonds of disaccharides D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine acid. |
| Molecular Mass | 300,000 – 400,000 Da | 5000 – 20,000,000 Da |
| Synthesis | It is produced within the body, and after attaining 30 years of age, it weakens the process. | It is synthesized in the cell membrane of fibroblasts cells by proteins. |
| Function | Liable for the firmness, tightness, of the skin also component of muscles, joints, teeth’s, bones | Responsible for smoothness of skin |
| Use | Burn surgery, cosmetic surgery, slowing the ageing process, strengthening of hair and nails | Neurosurgery, skincare, ophthalmic surgery, etc |
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a polymer of the protein and is the key protein present in the human connective tissue. The word collagen originated from the Greek word ‘kola’ meaning the ‘glue’, and the other Greek word used as the suffix is ‘-gen’, meaning the ‘production’.
Collagen protein is found in mammals but mainly in animals. The collagen protein is present in different parts of the body with different concentrations of it.
In the cranial bones, it is 23%, cartilage has 50% collagen, and skin consists of up to 75% of the concentration of the collagen, and many more, although on an overall basis, the human body signifies about 30% of the total collagen concentration within.
It is a long peptide chain that is spiral. Each peptide chain consists of about 19 to 105 amino acids to form the chain.
The protein shows the insoluble property along with that it can’t be absorbed or digested by the human body. The molecular mass ranges between 300,000 – 400,000 Da for the collagen protein.
It is observed that the collagen protein is produced inside the body by various procedures and the production of the protein gets slower after the individuals attain the age of 30 and thus, it is advised by the doctors to consume various collagen-rich supplements orally.
There are many uses listed of the collagen protein as it is the important protein in keeping the skin healthy, responsible for the firmness, tightness, and the elasticity of the skin, cosmetic surgery, bone grafts, tissue regeneration, increasing the strength of hairs and nails, slow down the ageing process, and many more.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a form of a polymer of carbohydrates and is known as the mucopolysaccharide. Hyaluronic acid is the common polymer that is synthesized nearly in all living organisms, with one exception that is algae.
The word originated from the Greek word ‘hyalos’ that means ‘glass’.
For the very first time, the hyaluronic acid was isolated from the vitreous of the calf eyes. It is considered that an individual weighing an average of 70 kg contains 15 g of hyaluronic acid in its body.
It helps in the building of intracellular substances in mammals and can be easily found in various tissues and organs such as – synovial fluid, vitreous, skin, heart valves, different tissues – connective, epithelial, and nerve.
The structure of the hyaluronic acid is not complex as the chain is long and linear. It is formed because of the repetitive amount of the disaccharide units called D-glucuronic acid and the N-acetyl-glucosamine, and both the disaccharide units are linked to each other because of the glycosidic bonds.
The acid is insoluble and may consist of as many as 25,000 repetitive units in the chain. The molecular mass of the acid is approximately 5,000 to 20,000,000 Da.
Main Differences Between Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid
- In the human connective tissue, collagen is considered to be the main protein, whereas hyaluronic acid is the biopolymer of the carbohydrate and known as the mucopolysaccharide.
- The presence of collagen protein in nature is observed in mammals only, specifically in the animals, whereas the presence of hyaluronic acid in nature is shown by all the individuals or organisms with algae as the exception for it.
- Collagen is a long and spiral peptide chain with 19 to 105 amino acids connected, while hyaluronic acid is formed by two disaccharide units repetition known as D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine that are linked to each other by the formation of the glycosidic bond.
- The observed molecular mass of the protein by the scientists ranges between 300,000-400,000 Da, whereas the observed mass for the hyaluronic acid is 5000-20,000,000 Da.
- Collagen is synthesized in the body and weakens after 30 years of age, whereas hyaluronic acid is produced inside the cell membrane of fibroblasts cells.
- Collagen is liable for the firmness, tightness of the skin, also a component of muscles, joints, teeth, bones, while hyaluronic acid is liable for the increment in the smoothness of the skin and many other things.
- Collagen is used for burn surgery, cosmetic surgery, slowing the ageing process, strengthening of hair and nails, etc., while hyaluronic acid is used in various surgeries like – neurosurgery, ophthalmic surgery, also good for skincare treatments, etc.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813021011715
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0194599813508082
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10856-012-4641-3
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4636(199603)30:3%3C369::AID-JBM11%3E3.0.CO;2-F
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
