ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Collagen helix

Okay, so imagine a really long piece of string. Now, if you twisted that string around and around, it would start to look like a spring, right? That spring-like shape is kind of what a collagen helix looks like.

Collagen is a protein that's really important for your body because it's what makes your skin, bones, and other tissues strong and flexible. When you look at collagen under a microscope, it looks like a bunch of little strings that are all twisted up into a helix shape.

Now, here's where it gets a little tricky. Those little strings we were talking about earlier are actually made up of even smaller strings called amino acids. When amino acids link together in a certain way, they form what's called a peptide bond. Lots and lots of these peptide bonds strung together are what make up the collagen helix.

So, basically, a collagen helix is a bunch of tiny strings made of amino acids twisted up into a spring-like shape. It's what gives your body the strength and flexibility it needs to move around and do all the things you love to do!