Natural fiber Keratin is a structural protein located at the hard surfaces in many vertebrates. Keratin has two forms, α-keratin and β-keratin and are used by different classes of animals. The naming convention for proteins follows that for keratin, alpha keratin is helical and beta keratin is sheet like. Alpha keratin is found in mammalian hair, skin, nails, horn and quills, while beta keratin can be found in avian and reptilian species in scales, feathers, and beaks. The two different structures of keratin have dissimilar mechanical properties, as seen in their dissimilar applications. The relative alignment of the keratin fibrils has a
Bone morphogenetic protein 4 hair is through restricting growth factor expression in the hair matrix and antagonism between growth and differentiation signaling. Pathways that regulate hair follicle formation and hair growth are key in developing therapeutic methods for hair loss conditions. Such conditions include the development of new follicles, changing the shape of characteristics of existing follicles, and the altering of hair growth in existing hair follicles. Furthermore, BMP4 and the pathway through which it works may provide therapeutic targets for the prevention of hair loss. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 Bone morphogenetic protein 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by "BMP4"