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“Bound Water” in Keratin Membranes measured by a Microbalance Technique

Abstract

The amount of “bound water” in dense biological membranes such as human stratum corneum (keratin) can be estimated from the water desorption curves of the hydrated tissue. A distinct decrease in the rate of desorption, measured continuously with a microbalance, marks the transition between the elimination of free water and “bound water” from the tissue. The amount of “bound water” in fully hydrated stratum corneum can be as much as five times the dry weight of the tissue.

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SCHEUPLEIN, R., MORGAN, L. “Bound Water” in Keratin Membranes measured by a Microbalance Technique. Nature 214, 456–458 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/214456a0

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