KERATIN

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does keratin mean? 

• KERATIN (noun)
  The noun KERATIN has 1 sense:

1. a fibrous scleroprotein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in horny tissues such as hair, feathers, nails, and hooves

  Familiarity information: KERATIN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• KERATIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fibrous scleroprotein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in horny tissues such as hair, feathers, nails, and hooves

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

ceratin; keratin

Hypernyms ("keratin" is a kind of...):

albuminoid; scleroprotein (a simple protein found in horny and cartilaginous tissues and in the lens of the eye)

Holonyms ("keratin" is a substance of...):

feather; plumage; plume (the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds)

hair (a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss)

horn (the material (mostly keratin) that covers the horns of ungulates and forms hooves and claws and nails)

 Context examples 

This variant typically lacks nuclear palisading, wet keratin, calcification, and cholesterol deposits.

(Papillary Craniopharyngioma, NCI Thesaurus/Adapted from WHO)

Keratins help form the tissues of the hair, nails, and the outer layer of the skin.

(Keratin, NCI Dictionary)

Diagnostic features include nodules of compact 'wet' keratin and dystrophic calcification.

(Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma, NCI Thesaurus/Adapted from WHO)

A morphologic finding indicating increased keratin formation, preservation of the nuclei in the superficial cells, and absence of the stratum granulosum in a skin or squamous mucosa sample.

(Hyperparakeratosis, NCI Thesaurus)

The cells are positive for keratin by immunoperoxidase staining.

(HeLa, NCI Thesaurus)

A squamous cell carcinoma composed of small atypical cells, without morphologic evidence of keratin production.

(Non-Keratinizing Small Cell Squamous Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A squamous cell carcinoma that arises from the nasopharynx and is characterized by prominent production of keratin.

(Nasopharyngeal Keratinizing Squamous Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A squamous cell carcinoma composed of large atypical cells, without morphologic evidence of keratin production.

(Non-Keratinizing Large Cell Squamous Cell Carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A malignant neoplasm that is composed of spindle cells that contain one or more keratins.

(Monomorphic Myoepithelial Spindle Cell Carcinoma of the Mouse Mammary Gland, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

Keratin, type I cytoskeletal 13 (458 aa, ~50 kDa) is encoded by the human KRT13 gene.

(Keratin, Type I Cytoskeletal 13, NCI Thesaurus)