Hair's power comes primarily from its exceptional tensile strength, rooted in its unique protein structure.
The Power of Keratin
At the heart of hair's strength is keratin, a robust structural protein also found in animal claws, horse hooves, and the outer layer of human skin.
- Cross-linking: Keratin's power lies in its cross-linking nature. This means the protein molecules are bound together in a way that makes the structure very strong.
- Tensile Strength: This cross-linking allows hair to have incredible tensile strength, which refers to the force required to break it when pulled. It is not about the force required to cut it or the durability of the structure when it is not pulled.
How Keratin Translates into Hair's Strength
Here's a simple breakdown:
| Feature | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Keratin | The core protein providing structure and strength to hair. |
| Cross-linking | The binding of keratin molecules, creating a strong and resilient network. |
| Tensile Strength | The result of keratin's structure, allowing hair to withstand significant pulling forces before breaking. |
Examples of Hair's Strength
While we don't often think about it, hair is incredibly strong:
- A single strand of human hair can support a surprisingly large amount of weight, in the range of 100 grams.
- A full head of hair could theoretically hold up to several tons if all the strands were strong enough and properly aligned.
Conclusion
Hair’s strength primarily comes from its keratin structure and the cross-linking of these protein molecules, giving it remarkable tensile strength, which is the measure of the force needed to pull something until it breaks.
