Collagen vs Keratin: what is the difference?
Collagen is a glycine-rich triple helix that strengthens skin, tendon and bone, while keratin is a cysteine-rich coil that makes hair and nail hard.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- No single structureinferredMoleculeFinder curatedA large molecule or a mixture with no single structure to draw.
Side by side
| Collagen | Keratin | |
|---|---|---|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Proteins | Proteins |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Body | Body |
Sources and notes
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
In more detail
These are the proteins behind skin, tendon, hair and nail, and they build different things by different means. Collagen is a triple helix that gives skin, tendon and bone their tensile strength, and it is rich in glycine and proline. Keratin is a coiled coil packed with cysteine, and the sulfur bridges between those cysteines are what make hair, nail, horn and hoof hard and insoluble. That disulfide bonding is why hair can be permanently waved by breaking and reforming those bridges, and why burning hair smells of sulfur. Collagen dissolves into gelatin when cooked; keratin does not dissolve at all, which is why hair survives in archaeological finds.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Collagen and Keratin?
- Collagen is a glycine-rich triple helix that strengthens skin, tendon and bone, while keratin is a cysteine-rich coil that makes hair and nail hard.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.