The Structure of People's Hair

    October 2014 in “ PeerJ
    Fei-Chi Yang, Yuchen Zhang, Maikel C. Rheinstädter
    TLDR Hair's molecular structure is mostly consistent, but genetic differences affect lipid types, which could help diagnose diseases.
    The study investigated the molecular structure of human hair using high-resolution X-ray diffraction, focusing on differences between individuals, including genetic similarities. Despite a small sample size of 12 individuals, the research found that the general molecular features of hair, such as the coiled-coil phase of α-helical keratin proteins and lipid layers, were consistent across all samples. However, variations in lipid types were noted, suggesting genetic influence, as identical patterns appeared in hair from genetically similar individuals like identical twins and a father-daughter pair, but not in fraternal twins. These findings highlighted the potential of using hair's molecular structure as a diagnostic tool for diseases.
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