What is the structure of a hair follicle?

What is the structure of a hair follicle?

A hair follicle is a stocking-like structure that contains cells and connective tissue and surrounds the root of a hair. It exists within the dermis and the epidermis, the two top layers of the skin. For a helpful visual, think of the hair follicle as a vase and the hair as the stem of a flower.

What are the three key structures of a hair follicle?

The hair follicle can be divided into 3 regions: the lower segment (bulb and suprabulb), the middle segment (isthmus), and the upper segment (infundibulum). The lower segment extends from the base of the follicle to the insertion of the erector pili muscle (also known as the arrector pili muscle).

What are the characteristics of hair follicle?

Anatomy of a follicle A hair follicle is a tunnel-shaped structure in the epidermis (outer layer) of the skin. Hair starts growing at the bottom of a hair follicle. The root of the hair is made up of protein cells and is nourished by blood from nearby blood vessels.

What tissue is hair follicle made of?

Hair follicles (Fig. 6.3) are comprised of pockets of epithelium, which are continuous with the superficial epidermis and extend deep into the dermis. A hair follicle forms a bulb around the specialized dermal cells, the dermal papillae.

What is the structure and function of hair?

Hair is simple in structure, but has important functions in social functioning. Hair is made of a tough protein called keratin. A hair follicle anchors each hair into the skin. The hair bulb forms the base of the hair follicle.

What is the clear stuff around a hair follicle?

When you pull out your hair “by the root,” you may observe a transparent swelling called the “bulb.” The area above the bulb usually seen on a plucked hair is the root sheath, the growing area of a hair.

What is the black thing on the end of a hair?

Club hairs are an end product of final hair growth and feature a bulb of keratin (protein) at the root tip of a strand. This bulb keeps the hair in the follicle until it sheds and the hair growth cycle starts over.

What is hair follicle?

FAH-lih-kul) A shaft or opening on the surface of the skin through which hair grows.

How deep is a hair follicle?

Results: The mean length of a scalp hair follicle is 4.16 mm. The infundibulum measures 0.76 mm, the isthmus 0.89 mm, and the inferior portion 2.5 mm. The insertion of the arrector pili muscle is located 1.65 mm deep.

What is the white bit at the end of my hair?

What is the White Bulb on Hair? The small bulb at the end of a shed hair is a lump of keratin, a protein that makes up your hair, skin and nails. If you examine your shed hairs, you may notice that some have white bulbs, while others have bulbs that match your natural hair color.