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Keratin (protein)

  • Keratins are a large group of intermediate filaments of epithelial cells, forming the structural proteins of the skin (polymers).
  • Keratins are responsible for the differentiation of the epidermis into a hard solid structure basically by accumulating protein on the intermediate filaments within the cells of the skin (keratinocytes).
  • Keratins secreted outside the cell form hair and fingernails.
  • Mutations in keratins can weaken skin, causing a condition known as epidermolysis bullosa.

 

 

Reference: The Cell: A Very Short Introduction. Allen T. Oxford University Press