Originally posted by matrixeg:
erm can you explain more on hair follicles?
are those on the head same as those on the pubic region armpit legs etc..
The total number of hair follicles for an adult person is estimated at 5 million with 1 million on the head of which 100,000 alone cover the scalp. The only external regions of skin without hair follicles are the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. At the base of the follicle is a small structure that is called the papilla. This is the actual cell-producing structure where the hair strand is constructed. The papila is shaped like a cone, protruding into the bulb of the growing hair. Also attached to the follicle is a tiny bundle of muscle fiber called the arector that is responsible for causing the follicle and hair to be come more perpendicular to the surface of the skin, and causing the follicle to protrude slightly above the surrounding skin. This process results in goose bumps.
The structure of hair follicles is basically the same, though for example the shape may differ a little for differnt kinds of hair, for example the follicles of the pubic hair are more flat then the follicles of the hair on the head.
Specialised hair such as eyebrows and eyelashes protect the eyes by channelling or sweeping away fluids, dust and debris. Nasal hair plays an important role in trapping air borne foreign particles before reaching the lungs. Pubic and armit hair serve to trap the pheromones produced under the armits and in genital area, this is for the purpose of attracting the other gender.