9.9: Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles
Hair and hair follicles are integral components of the integumentary system. Hair is a filamentous structure composed mainly of a protein called keratin. It is found on the surface of the skin throughout the body, except for areas such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Hair is a keratinous filament growing out of the epidermis. It is primarily made of dead, keratinized cells. Hair strands originate at the epidermal penetration called the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the part of the hair not anchored to the follicle, and much of this is exposed at the skin's surface. The rest of the hair, anchored in the follicle, lies below the skin's surface and is referred to as the hair root. The hair root ends deep in the dermis at the hair bulb and includes a layer of mitotically active basal cells called the hair matrix. The hair bulb surrounds the hair papilla, which is made of connective tissue and contains blood capillaries and nerve endings from the dermis.
The hair follicle is teardrop shaped. Its enlarged base, the hair bulb, is embedded in the hypodermis. The outermost layer of the follicle is the epidermis, which invaginates from the skin surface to envelop the follicle. Within the epidermis is the outer root sheath, which is only present on the hair bulb. It does not extend up the shaft of the hair. Within the outer root sheath is the inner root sheath. The inner root sheath extends about half of the way up the hair shaft, ending midway through the dermis. The hair matrix is the innermost layer. The hair matrix surrounds the bottom of the hair shaft, where it is embedded within the hair bulb. The hair shaft contains three layers: the outermost cuticle, a middle layer called the cortex, and an innermost layer called the medulla.
Hair serves a variety of functions, including protection, sensory input, thermoregulation, and communication. For example, hair on the head protects the skull from the sun. The hair in the nose, ears, and around the eyes (eyelashes) defends the body by trapping and excluding dust particles that may contain allergens and microbes. The hair of the eyebrows prevents sweat and other particles from dripping into and bothering the eyes. Hair also has a sensory function due to sensory innervation by a hair root plexus surrounding the base of each hair follicle. Hair is extremely sensitive to air movement or other disturbances in the environment, much more so than the skin surface. This feature is also useful for the detection of the presence of insects or other potentially damaging substances on the skin surface. Each hair root is connected to a smooth muscle called the arrector pili that contracts in response to nerve signals from the sympathetic nervous system, making the external hair shaft "stand up." The primary purpose of this is to trap a layer of air to add insulation. This is visible in humans as goose bumps and even more obvious in animals, such as when a frightened cat raises its fur.
This text is adapted from Openstax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Section 5.2: Accessary structures of the skin.
