What Is Conjugated Collagen?

The word "conjugated" comes from a Latin word meaning "yoked together." So a conjugated collagen is collagen yoked together with something else. Conjugated collagens serve as medical and cosmetic aids.

Collagen

• Collagen is a glycoprotein --- a protein united with a sugar --- produced by special cells called fibroblasts, chondrocytes and osteoblasts. Collagen is connective tissue --- a tough structural component of cartilage, bone and flesh, according to "Biology" by Campbell, Reece and Mitchell.

Collagen Conjugates

• Through laboratory synthesis, collagen unites with other substances to form conjugates. It unites with such enzymes as alkaline phosphatase. An especially useful conjugate is a union of collagen and a long molecule called polyethylene glycol, according to Clinical and Experimental Immunology.

Collagen Conjugate Uses

• Conjugated collagen serves as implants. When burns or wounds have severely damaged soft tissues, conjugated collagen effectively repairs the damage. Conjugated collagen repairs periodontal bone tissue and also serves purely cosmetic purposes, filling in tissue to give the body an aesthetically desirable appearance, according to Free Patent Online.