Introduction
The interesting components of horse hair and how they all combine to make their hair just how it is.
Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components
Keratin C28H48N2032S4
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Sulfur
Carbon
Oxygen
Amino Acids
Alanine C2H7NO2
Arginine C6H14N4O2
Aspartic Acid C4H7NO4
Cysteine C3H7NO2S
Glutamic Acid C5H9NO4
Glycine C2H5NO2
Histidine C6H9N3O2
Isoleucine C6H13NO2
Leucine C6H13NO2
Lysine C6H14N2O2
Methionine C5H11NO2S
Phenylalanine C9H11NO2
Proline C5H9NO2
Serine C3H7NO3
Threonine C4H9NO3
Tyrosine C9H11NO3
Valine C5H11NO2
Chemistry's Role
The 2 main components in horse hair is keratin and amino acids. The amino acids and the keratin and create polypeptide chain to create each strand of hair. As these form naturally made by your body create either thick or thin hair. Each strand has a protective layer of keratin that creates a barrier from the outside weather. The final product of hair is not man made it is naturally occuring in nature. Chemistry's main role happens when the foal is forming in the mother at the late stages of development hair starts for be made as a product of the mother giving the amino acids and keratin to the child.
Background Research
Horses have been used as social experiments and have been sent to slaughter hoses for the meat on their bones. Equine hair has been used for 19th century chairs or couches and paint brushes because of the coarseness/stiffness that makes a great calligraphy brush and it is used for clothes in switzerland. Now in modern times horse hair is used for bracelets and necklaces along with home decor. At one point on history horse hair was used for fishing lines.
Resources
https://activilong.com/en/content/95-structure-composition-of-the-hair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratin
http://www.imgt.org/IMGTeducation/Aide-memoire/_UK/aminoacids/formuleAA/
http://www.dralinsyed.com/blog/2015/7/31/the-chemical-composition-of-hair
http://designessentials.com/hair-composition/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/horsehair
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.579.9724&rep=rep1&type=pdf
About the Author
Ulrike Clarke is a junior at senior high school in billings mt. She enjoys Aquatics and Horseback riding with friends. Ulrike would like to go into beauty school to be a beautician. She is a smart girl who can do anything she puts her mind to. If she had a million dollars she would give it to horse sanctuaries around the U.S. and to her grandparents along with her mom and sister to thank them for all they have done to help her get through this crazy thing called life.