On the fine structure of silk fibroin

Abstract

Examination of the mechanism of dissolution of silk fibroin in dilute alkali and dilute acid solution has shown the following : (1) In the structural unit of silk fibroin, namely brin, there are a micell unit, composed of subcrystalline and crystalline regions, and a fibril unit of micell unit. (2) The fibrillae run parallel to fibre-axis, and are crowded in the interior, but at places are in disorder. Amorphous regions II exists chiefly among the fibrillae and the surface of brin is chiefly covered with amorphous region I. © 1955, The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan. All rights reserved.