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Abstract
A brief summary of the generally accepted ideas concerning the molecular structure and organisation in keratin has been made. It is then found that certain ideas are incompatible with more recent experimental data, and so a modified model has been evolved. This postulates that keratin consists of ordered helical microfibrils embedded in a non-crystalline matrix which has longitudinal zones with differing characteristics. The model is discussed in relation to stress-strain and supercontraction deformation, and, in addition, an estimate of the difference in free energy (4·5 kcal/mole) between the α-helix and the hydrated extended linear β-chain is reported.