The Chemical & Physical Structure of Merino Wool

Figure 2: Formation of a polypeptide by reaction of amino acids. (R , R and R may be the same or different 1 2 3 side groups). These contaminants are removed during processing. Clean wool, together with other animal fibres, belongs to a group of proteins known as keratins. Unlike cotton and the majority of synthetic fibres, wool does not have a homogeneous structure. Wool fibres have highly complex physical and chemical compositions that have evolved over millions of years to protect sheep from extremes of heat and cold.