Existence of Various Structural Zones in Keratinous Tissues Revealed by X-Ray Microdiffraction

    September 1999 in “ Journal of Synchrotron Radiation ”
    Bertrand Busson, Per Engström, J. Doucet
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    Studysummary This study shows that microdiffraction experiments reveal structural layers in keratinous tissues, each with different keratin types, potentially explaining their dual role as mechanical support and chemical barriers. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study used X-ray microdiffraction to analyze keratinous tissues such as feather shafts, horse and human hair, and porcupine quills, revealing multiple structural layers within these tissues. These layers included highly ordered α- or β-type keratin and more amorphous keratin, with lipid granules primarily found in the outer layers. This research demonstrated the potential of third-generation synchrotron sources for detailed structural analysis of biological tissues.
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