Cotton is a natural fiber and is one of the strongest and most durable fibers known to man. Papers manufactured of cotton fiber will last longer and hold up better under repeated handling and variant environmental conditions than paper made from wood pulp. Generally, given reasonable care, one can expect one year of usable life for every 1% of cotton contained in the sheet. Typically cotton fiber papers are made of either all cotton fiber (100% cotton) or a blend of cotton and wood pulp. Cotton fibers” are made from unicellular hairs that grow out from the surface of the seed immediately after fertilization. The hairs are twisted into usable thread which is tough and strong. Cotton hairs (lint) of tetraploid (4n) species may be up to 50 mm long. In the cotton gin