keratinrich

Keratinrich is an adjective used in biology and materials science to describe tissues, materials, or organisms that contain a high concentration of keratin, a family of fibrous structural proteins. Keratin provides mechanical strength and a protective barrier, and its abundance influences properties such as rigidity, toughness, and resistance to proteolysis. Keratin is produced by keratinocytes and is found in various forms across vertebrates.

Keratins are categorized into hard keratins, rich in disulfide bonds from cysteine, and soft keratins. In mammals, alpha-keratin is dominant, while birds and reptiles use beta-keratin in structures such as feathers, beaks, and scales.

Hard keratin forms hair, nails, horns, hooves, and beaks; soft keratin coats skin and mucous membranes. The keratin content and its organization determine texture and durability, with hard keratin generally being more rigid due to cross-linking.

Keratin-rich tissues exhibit high resilience due to cross-linking; thickness, composition, and cross-link density vary with genetics, development, nutrition, and health. The study of keratin-rich materials intersects anatomy, physiology, and materials science, informing fields from forensic analysis to biomaterial design.

In industry, keratin-rich materials are processed into keratin hydrolysates used in cosmetics, wound care, and as biomaterials for scaffolds. Keratin-rich waste from poultry feathers or human hair can be valorized through hydrolysis and reformulation. Most dietary keratin is not absorbed intact; digestion yields amino acids and peptides rather than usable keratin polymers.