Question

What is the difference between keratin and carotene?

Answer 1

Keratin is a fibrous structural protein of hair, nails, horn, hoofs, wool, feathers, and of the epithelial cells in the outermost layers of the skin. Keratin serves important structural and protective functions, particularly in the epithelium. Some keratins have also been found to regulate key cellular activities, such as cell growth and protein synthesis.

Keratin proteins can be subdivided into alpha-keratins and beta-keratins, on the basis of their secondary structure (the geometry of their polypeptide chains, which is influenced by hydrogen bonding). Alpha-keratins, which are found in the hair, the skin, and the wool of mammals, are primarily fibrous and helical in structure. By contrast, beta-keratins, which occur in birds and reptiles, consist of parallel sheets of polypeptide chains.

Keratin hair-straightening treatments are a popular option at salons. If you're thinking about trying it, you should know the benefits and effects of keratin first shared by WebMD.




Carotene on the other hand is a yellow or red pigment found in many dark green, leafy, and yellow vegetables such as collards, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash, as well as in yellow fruit, milk, egg yolk, and body fat; it is a chromolipoid hydrocarbon existing in four forms (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-carotene), which can be converted into Vitamin A in the body.

Carotenes, especially beta carotene occurs abundantly in the nature. It is estimated that nearly more than 500 different carotenoids such as ß-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, cryptoxanthins, zea-xanthins...etc distributed throughout the plant and algae kingdoms.
Although many of these have proven independent functions, around 50 or more can be metabolized to Vitamin-A inside the human body