Internal Lipids of Wool Fibers

Abstract

Analyses of the lipid composition of wool fibers were made after removing surface wool grease. The internal lipids did not originate in the wool grease, nor were they related to biological membrane lipids in composition, particularly the phospholipid content. The structure of the "cell membrane complex" of keratin fibers, currently interpreted in terms of the fluid mosaic model for biological membranes, may there fore need to be reinvestigated.