Human bone collagen, amino acids

The fifteen samples analyzed for amino acid composition were compared to a human type 1 collagen standard. There are no significant differences in amino acid composition among these samples, which range in age from stillbirth to adult. Analytical error is 10%. All samples show the typical composition of type 1 collagen (Table 1.1). Based on these results there is no reason to suspect differential preservation of specific amino acids in the small bones of infants in comparison to bones of adults and older children. 

Tabic 1.1. Amino acids per thousand residues for standard type 1 collagen and 15 human bone collagen samples from St. Thomas Church cemetery. Samples are identified by burial numlter (Bx) followed by age midpoint for subadults and age range for adults in parentheses. For example, B17(0) refers to burial 17 who was aged as a newborn. 

McCullagh, J. S. O., Juchelka, D. and Hedges, R. E. M. (2006) Analysis of amino acid 13C abundance from human and faunal bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 20, 2761 2768. 

Styring, A. K., Sealy, J. C. and Evershed, R. P. (in press) Resolving the bulk 81SN values of ancient human and animal bone collagen via compound specific nitrogen isotope analysis of constituent amino acids. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 

Corr, L.T., Sealy, J.C., Horton, M.C. and Evershed, R.P. (2005). A novel marine dietary indicator utilising compound-specific bone collagen amino acid delta C-13 values of ancient humans. Journal of Archaeological Science 32 321-330. 

Table II. Radiocarbon Determinations on the Carbonate, Collagen, and Amino Acid Fractions of Two Human Bone Samples...

Table L Amino acid composition of human bone collagen...

Isotope amount needed, calculation, 44 typical uses, 144-54 Acetylacetonate, synthesis, 110-11 Adults, calcium metabolism, 36t,38t Alanine, 159 Amino acid composition human bone collagen, 197t of prehistoric bones, 196 Ammonia, 132... 

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