Hair

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hair

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the hair shaft composition?Primarily dead keratinized cells arranged in cuticle, cortex, and medulla layers
2. What is the follicle structure?An epidermal invagination containing the hair bulb, matrix, and dermal papilla
3. What is hair made of?Hair is made of dead keratinized cells. The visible shaft has three layers: the outer cuticle, the middle cortex with pigment, and a core called the medulla in thicker hairs.
4. Why do we have hair on our heads?Head hair protects the scalp from the sun and keeps us warm. It also helps us feel touch and notice changes around us.

Keratinocytes: Cells that produce keratin, forming the structural components of hair.
Dermal Papilla: A small cone-shaped projection of connective tissue at the base of the hair follicle.
Alopecia: A medical term for hair loss, often occurring in patterns.