Page 301 - Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, 8th Edition

286 / Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals

fiber. The hair coat of important wool‐ It is removed from the fiber when the
fleece is cleaned and used in a variety of
producing breeds characteristically lacks
VetBooks.ir any appreciable guard hairs, so that the ointments, emollients, and skin products.
Most commercial wool is acquired from
fleece is soft and curly, made up of long,
fine hairs. The grade of wool is related to sheep, with the merino and the rambouil-
the fiber diameter, crimp (a reference to let being the most commercially important
the waviness), and length of the fibers. breeds. Angora and cashmere goats and
Fine, wavy, long fibers are the most desira- camelids (camels, llamas, and alpacas) are
ble. Prior to processing, the wool has an also used for wool. The long, fine wool of
oily feel imparted by lanolin, a product of the Angora goat is called mohair, whereas
cutaneous sebaceous glands. Lanolin is that of the cashmere goat is used to make
sometimes called wool grease or wool wax. cashmere wool.