Hair Shaft: Cross Section of Hair

The hair shaft is comprised of 3 different cell

layers:
Cuticle:
Translucent outer layer, which protects the hair.
Flat cells layered in an overlapping formation that
looks like shingles on a roof.

Cortex:
Middle layer made up of long thin cells firmly
attached to each other and arranged lengthwise.
Generally it is made up of Keratin. Nature creates
natural hair coloring, a substance called melanin.
Contains air sacs called cortical fusi. Provides hair
with strength, elasticity and determines the texture
and quality of hair.

Medulla:
Central core of the hair.
Composed of soft keratin.
The Cuticle
1. Gives hair resistance to chemical breakdown and retains its structural
features.
2. The cuticle is the outermost layer of hair which is covered with
overlapping scales and translucent in nature.
3. The scales point toward the tip of the hair.
4. Study of scale by SEM or embedding into soft medium.
5. Scales differ among species of animals and are name is based on their
appearance.
1. The three basic patterns are:
– Coronal
– Spinous
– Imbricate
Variations in the Cuticle
1. Imbricate Cuticle:
Indicates that hair sample is
human.

2. Spinous Cuticle: Indicates

hair sample is from a cat.

3. Coronal Cuticle: Found in

dogs, bats and small rodents.
The Cortex
1. The cortex is major part and gives the hair its shape.
2. It has three major characteristics:

 Cortical cells- Cortical cells are elongated, fusiform,

keratinized filaments aligned parallel to the length of the hair.

 Cortical fusi—air sacs, usually found near the root but

may be found throughout the hair shaft

 Melanin— natural pigment granules that give hair its color

Eumelanin (brown-black) – Found in Black and Brown Hair

Pheomelanin (yellow-red) – Found in Blond and Red Hair

Melanin
• A natural chemical (amino acid)
inside the human body known as
Tyrosine.
•
• By the activity of enzyme Tyrosine
Tyrosinase which are present in the
Tyrosinase
melanocytes cells of skin, Tyrosine
get converted into DOPA and further Dihydroxyphenylalanine
Dopaquinone. DOPA
• Dopaquinone further polymerized Tyrosinase
and joined with specific proteins to
give either Black-Brown melanins or Dopaquinone
Red-Yellow melanins.
Polymerized, then joined Combined with cysteine,
• Which imparts the color to hair. with protein then polymerized, then
joined with protein

Black and brown melanins: Red and yellow melanins: skin,

skin, hair and eye pigments hair and eye pigments
The Medulla
• It is core of hair. Cellular column running through middle of hair.

• Medulla can vary even in same individual.

• Shows great variation among different species.

• In humans, the medulla appears dark under transmitted light because

it is filled with air.

• If filled with fluid, the medulla may take on a yellowish color.

• If not visible under normal microscopic examination, the medulla

may be more easily observed between crossed polar of a polarizing
microscope.
Different Patterns of Medulla
1. Uniserial
2. Multiserial
3. Vacuolated
4. Lattice
5. Fragmented
amorphous
6. Continuous
amorphous
7. Hair may or may not
have a medulla.
Medullary Index
1. Determined by measuring
the diameter of the medulla
and dividing it by the
diameter of the hair.
2. Medullary index for human
hair is generally less than
1/3.
3. For animal hair, it is usually
greater than ½.
The Root
1. Human roots look different based on whether they have been
forcibly removed or they are telogen hairs and have fallen
out.
2. Animal roots vary, but in general have a spear shape.

Fallen out Forcibly removed

Variations in hair root
1. Rounded root
(no follicle):
Indicates the hair
fell out naturally.
2. Follicle attached
root: Hair was
forcibly removed.