keratin
/ˈkɛɹətɪn/ noun
Forms keratins
- noun (biochemistry) The protein of which hair and nails are composed.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from German Keratin, from Ancient Greek κέρας (kéras, “horn”) + -in. Doublet of carat.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A nitrogenous substance, or mixture of substances, containing sulphur in a loose state of combination, and forming the chemical basis of epidermal tissues, such as horn, hair, feathers, and the like. It is an insoluble substance, and, unlike elastin, is not dissolved even by gastric or pancreatic juice. By decomposition with sulphuric acid it yields leucin and tyrosin, as does albumin. Called also epidermose.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “keratin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details