Enzyme unit many kinds of substance besides enzymes (for example, vitamins and hormones). Enzyme unit The enzyme unit (symbol U or sometimes EU) is a unit for the amount of a particular enzyme. One U is defined as the amount of the enzyme that produces a certain amount of enzymatic activity, that is, the amount that catalyzes the conversion of 1 micro-mole of substrate per minute. The conditions also have to be specified: one usually takes a temperature of 25°C and the pH value and substrate concentration that yield the maximal substrate conversion rate. The enzyme unit was adopted by the International
Ground substance as hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycans which GAGs are bound to, and glycoproteins. Components of the ground substance are secreted by fibroblasts. Usually it is not visible on slides, because it is lost during staining in the preparation process. Link proteins such as vinculin, spectrin and actomyosin stabilize the proteoglycans and organize elastic fibers in the ECM. Changes in the density of ground substance can allow collagen fibers to form aberrant cross-links. Loose connective tissue is characterized by few fibers and cells, and a relatively large amount of ground substance. Dense connective tissue has a