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Human Hair

The human body is almost completely covered by hair. In most places of the body the hair is so fine that it can barely be seen, but it is there. In fact, we have as much hair as the gorilla, only it is much finer and not as coarse, therefore not as noticeable. The palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and the lips are the only places on the human that does not have any hair growth.

The human hair has three parts to it lengthwise. The follicle is the base of the hair and is shaped like a cup and begins in the dermis layer of the skin. The shape of the follicle determines if the hair is curly or straight. Inside the follicle is the bulb. This is where cells form and chain together to create the length of the hair. There are plenty of minute blood vessels that supply the bulb with the nourishment it needs to grow. As the cells continue to produce and push up and out of the bulb, they change and form six cylindrical layers. Once the cells grow out of the skin there are three layers that make up the shaft.

The innermost part of the shaft is called the medulla and contains mainly lose cells and air space. The next layer is the cortex which has densely packed keratin-a protein that is very strong. This is also what the finger and toenails are mainly made of. The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair. The cells in this layer grow much like scales on a fish. They allow the hair to bend and curl. Granules of the hair pigment melanin, which is what gives pigment to the hair, is also found in this layer. Depending on how much melanin is present is what determines the color. The more the melanin the darker the hair, and vise versa.

The human hair seems like a simple part of the body, but in fact still holds a vast amount of secrets that scientists and doctors are still trying to puzzle out. Slowly but surely those puzzles are being put together.