Plural of collagen; the group of proteins that form the main structural components of skin, bones, tendons, and connective tissues in animals.
From French 'colle' (glue) + Greek 'genos' (birth/origin), named because early scientists realized it literally meant 'glue-producing,' since collagen was derived from boiling animal bones.
There are at least 28 different types of collagen in your body—Type I makes up your skin, Type II cushions your joints, Type III gives blood vessels flexibility—it's almost like your body is a collagen library with specialized editions for every tissue type.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.