Individuals who develop scurvy suffer from sore and bleeding gums and loss of teeth. This is due, in part, to the synthesis of a defective collagen molecule. The step that is affected in collagen...

Individuals who develop scurvy suffer from sore and bleeding gums and loss of teeth. This is due, in part, to the synthesis of a defective collagen molecule. The step that is affected in collagen biosynthesis attributable to scurvy is which of the following?

(A) The formation of disulfide bonds, which initiates tropocollagen formation

(B) The formation of lysyl cross-links between collagen molecules

(C) Secretion of tropocollagen into the extracellular matrix

(D) The formation of collagen fibrils

(E) The hydroxylation of proline residues, which stabilizes the collagen structure