[Intercellular substance of connective tissue: collagen and mucopolysaccarides]. / La sostanza intercellulare del tessuto connettivo. Collagene e mucopolisaccaridi.

The paper deals with the more salient data on the principal components of the intercellular substance of connective tissue: collagen and mucopolysaccharides. With regard to collagen, is described the sub-microscopic structure of single units of "tropocollagen" and the interpretation of the periodic structure of fibrils, their organization in tissue as well as the synthesis and reabsorption of collagen itself is discussed. With reference to mucopolyaccharides, their chemical structure, distribution in the tissues and their relation with the protein component of the protein-polysaccharide complex is described. Furthermore the Author points out the quantitative and qualitative changes of the various mucopolysaccharides in connection with age, site and function. Brief reference is also made to the essential characteristics of sialic acid.