The Formation of Collagen Fibrils in the Dental Pulp

In the last twenty years, because of the application of the electron microscope, there has been a considerable increase in knowledge concerning the origin and mechanism of formation of collagen. Since the work of Schmitt, Hall, and Jakus ' in 1942 illustrated that collagen was composed of a unit structure of fibrils, renewed interest has appeared in this area. Porter2 in 1952 and Wasserman3 in 1956 have reviewed the extensive work in this area and pointed out that the two controversial viewpoints of intracellular versus intercellular origin of collagen-still persist. Fleming,4 Mall,5 Ferguson,6 and Lewis7 promoted the theory that collagen was formed within the cell. These beliefs were later supported by Jackson,8 Jackson and Smith,9 and Wasserman3 10 by the observation of submicroscopic filaments or primary fibrils within the cytoplasm. On