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