Exploring Biological Tissue from Atomic to Macroscopic Scale Using Synchrotron Radiation: Example of Hair

The study utilized synchrotron radiation-based diffraction and infrared microspectrometry to analyze hair structure and composition at various scales. It revealed that proteins and lipids, the main components of hair, were unevenly distributed within the fiber. The cuticle zone was primarily composed of lipid granules, while the cortex and medulla zones consisted mainly of alpha-keratin. Infrared microspectroscopy showed differences in protein structure between the cuticle and cortex and a higher concentration of lipids in the medulla. The research highlighted the complementary nature of the techniques used and their potential applications in other biological studies.