Biophysical and mechanical response of keratinous fibres to changes in temperature, humidity and damage

Intact mammalian hair and wool fibres are multi-compartmental composite materials consisting of a sulphur-rich outer protective cuticle layer surrounding elongated, highly keratinized, cortex cells. The cortex cells themselves are made up of crystalline, filamentous, low-sulphur a-helical keratin molecules embedded in a matrix of highly cross-linked, globular high-sulphur keratins. It is the structurally organised and highly disulphide cross-linked nature of these materials that provides them with their remarkable mechanical properties. However these mechanical properties are sensitive to environmental conditions such as water content, temperature and chemical treatment and the importance of their ultra-structural arrangements to overall mechanical properties in different environments is still not fully understood.(omitted)