A connective tissue disease is any disease that affects the parts of the body that connect the structures of the body together. Connective tissues are made up of two proteins: collagen and elastin. Collagen is a protein found in the tendons, ligaments, skin, cornea, cartilage, bone, and blood vessels. Elastin is a stretchy protein that resembles a rubber band and is the major component of ligaments and skin. When a patient has a connective tissue disease, the collagen and elastin are inflamed. The proteins and the body parts they connect are harmed.
The component of blood that allows oxygen from the air to move from the lungs to cells of the body would be a pigment called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a type of red protein that is tasked with the job of moving oxygen to the blood of vertebrates.
