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  • In this activity, students explore the microstructure of wool fibre and how it relates to the properties and uses of wool.

    Purpose

    This activity will help students understand how the microstructure of wool creates its properties and determines its suitability for particular products.

    Keywords

    Fibre, fabric, protein1, absorbency, breathability, resilience, elasticity2, abrasion, felt.

    Related content

    This article is a handy curation of our resources looking at some of the innovative wool textiles being developed at AgResearch.

    1. protein: Any of a large class of complex compounds that are essential for life. Proteins play a central role in biological processes and form the basis of living tissues. They have distinct and varied three-dimensional structures. Enzymes, antibodies and haemoglobin are examples of proteins.
    2. elasticity: The ability of a solid to return to its original shape or form after it has been stretched or compressed.
    Published 31 May 2010 Referencing Hub articles
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        protein

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      2. Any of a large class of complex compounds that are essential for life. Proteins play a central role in biological processes and form the basis of living tissues. They have distinct and varied three-dimensional structures. Enzymes, antibodies and haemoglobin are examples of proteins.

        elasticity

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      4. The ability of a solid to return to its original shape or form after it has been stretched or compressed.