| Summary: | Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D in the F culty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. February 1957. === The roles played by fibrous proteins in nature are
at present being intensively studied and some of the advances
in our knowledge of these proteins are the subject of several
recent symposia. (la,b)
The powerful techniques of X-ray diffraction end
electron— optic analysis as well as ran unprecendented improvement
in the specificity and accuracy of chemical and chromatographic
methods of analysis has led to ever increasing efforts to
interpret biological phenomena within a framework of physicochemical
principles. In many fields, particularly those of
virus research and muscle contraction these efforts have already
been rewarded by a large measure of success.
In the present work, which forms part of a program
of research into the chemistry of connective tissues of man
and other vertebrates, the chemical properties and structural
features of the extracellular collagenous proteins in some
calcified and uncalcified connective tissues are compared.
'In vivo' calcification of connective tissue is generally
thought to be the result of a physico-chemical combination
between lima salt3 and the organic matrix mediated by the
ionic and structural prop rties of the matrix and the activity
of various cello and enzymes === IT2017
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