Abstract
This article presents the results of studies of pigmentation of the hair of Karakul lambs of various origins. A morphological study of the coat of Karakul lambs revealed clear differences in the distribution and shape of pigment depending on the color and genetic origin of the animals. In the hair of Karakul lambs, pigment is found mainly in 2 morphological structures: in the form of individual melanin grains forming linear aggregates of pigment granules, and in the form of voluminous clusters of pigment granules of a fusiform, ellipsoid or spherical shape. The nature of these formations in hair of different colors is different. In dark-colored lambs, melanin is present mainly in the form of linear chains of granules that form structures concentrated in the cortical layer of the wool fiber. In lambs of the sur color, the number of individual granules is small, and the main part of the pigment is concentrated in large aggregates due to the action of the attenuating gene and the peculiarities of the spatial distribution of melanin. In lambs of the cambara color, the pigment has a yellow-orange color and is localized mainly in the form of aggregates, and its size is 2-3 times lower than in black animals. It was found that differences in the morphology and distribution of pigment affect the structural properties of wool fibers and may be related to the interaction of genetic factors that control the intensity and shades of color.