Colour-enhanced SEM of white, brown, and black goat hair of approximately the same thickness. The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), from which the hair had been obtained, is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the family Bovidae and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat. Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species, and have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. Most goats have softer insulating hairs nearer the skin, and longer guard hairs on the surface. Unlike the domestic goat, the Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of mohair. Image width: 320 micrometres. Magnification: 312x if the image is printed 10 cm wide. |