Amino Acid Composition of Protein Fibers (%)

Low-Sulfur High-Sulfur Nature of

Amino Acid Wool SCMKA SCMKB Side Chain
Alanine 5.2 6.9 2.9 Hydrocarbon
Arginine 6.2 7.3 6.2 Basic
Aspartic Acid 5.9 9 2.3 Acidic
Cysteine* 13.1 6 22.1 Sulfur-containing
Glutamic Acid 11.1 15.7 7.9 Acidid
Glycine 8.8 7.7 6.2 Hydrocarbon
Histidine 0.8 0.6 0.7 Basic
Isoleucine 3 3.6 2.6 Hydrocarbon
Leucine 7.2 10.2 3.4 Hydrocarbon
Lysine 2.7 3.5 0.6 Basic
Methionine 0.5 0.6 nil Sulfur-containing
Phenylaline 2.5 2.5 1.6 Hydrocarbon
Proline 6.6 3.8 12.6 Heterocyclic
Serine 10.8 8.2 13.2 Polar
Threonine 6.5 4.8 10.2 Polar
Tyrosine 3.8 3.6 2.1 Polar
Valine 5.7 6.1 5.3 Hydrocarbon

* Half cystine Source: King

Above: TEM micrograph -- FCSM in a transverse section of wool fiber (Lewin,

363).
Below: Diagram of FCSM (Lewin, 364).

Above: TEM micrograph-- Transverse section of wool fiber showing bilateral

structure (Lewin, 358). Below: Diagram of cuticle cell structure (Lewin, 359).

Generalized keratin molecular (left) and chemical (right) structure (Ingram).

Above: Intermolecular bonds between keratin helices (Forward).