The Role of Collagen in the Aorta's Structure

Abstract

Aorta is the largest artery in the body. Anatomically, it is traditionally divided into the ascending, the aortic arch, the descending, the thoracic and the abdominal aorta. Collagen is one of the most important components of the aortic wall. Its concentration and its total amount play a significant role in the aortas’ function and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and stiffness. The two main types of collagen found in the aorta are types I and III and they account for 80-90% of the total collagen. Age, sex hormones, aneurysms and hypertension are factors that can alter collagen and its subtypes in the aorta wall. As the aorta is a crucial artery and collagen is one of its most important components, collagen study is a helpful way to deal with aorta’s abnormalities.