Keratin Keratin Keratin () is one of a family of fibrous structural proteins. It is the key structural material making up hair, horns, claws, hooves, and the outer layer of human skin. Keratin is also the protein that protects epithelial cells from damage or stress. Keratin is extremely insoluble in water and organic solvents. Keratin monomers assemble into bundles to form intermediate filaments, which are tough and form strong unmineralized epidermal appendages found in reptiles, birds, amphibians, and mammals. The only other biological matter known to approximate the toughness of keratinized tissue is chitin. Keratin derives from Greek ' from '
In the Skin of a Lion "I will let my hair grow long for your sake, I will wander through the wilderness in the skin of a lion," echoing the theme of converging voices re-telling history. The book was nominated for the Governor General's Award for English Language Fiction in 1987. Ondaatje's later and more famous novel "The English Patient" is, in part, a sequel to "In the Skin of a Lion", continuing the characters of Hana and Caravaggio, as well as revealing the fate of this novel's main character, Patrick Lewis. The first chapter, "Little Seeds," describes the growing years of the main character, Patrick