Which wound-healing phase is characterized by new tissue formation and collagen deposition?

• A. Proliferative phase
• B. Inflammatory phase
• C. Remodeling phase
• D. Hemostasis phase

Answer: (A)

The wound-healing phase that builds new tissue and lays down collagen is the proliferative stage. In this phase, fibroblasts move into the wound and start producing collagen and other extracellular matrix, forming granulation tissue, along with new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and helping to cover the wound with epithelium. This is the repair work that fills in the gap created by the injury.

After this, the remodeling phase fine-tunes the repair by reorganizing and cross-linking collagen and gradually strengthening the tissue, which can reduce scar size over time. The inflammatory phase focuses on cleaning the wound and defending against infection, and the hemostasis phase is the immediate clotting response right after injury.