Possible Role of Water in Collagen Structure

Abstract

ALTHOUGH several investigations of the infra-red spectrum of collagen in the 2µ region have been reported¹, no comment appears to have been made on the fact that the absorption band at 5,150 cm.⁻¹, generally attributed to sorbed water, is dichroic. The extent of this dichroism is shown in Fig. 1 (above), obtained from kangaroo tail tendon in equilibrium with the laboratory atmosphere. In a further spectrum obtained after drying at 100° C. for 3 hr., shown in Fig. 1 (below), the absorption band at 5,150 cm.⁻¹ is virtually eliminated, thus confirming its assignment to sorbed water. Subsequent exposure to the laboratory atmosphere restored the dichroic absorption band at 5,150 cm.⁻¹.