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Question
hair follicles
- how is a hair follicle similar to the epidermal layer of the skin?
- the bulk of the hair shaft is composed of which material?
Question 24
A hair follicle and the epidermal layer of the skin are both composed of epithelial tissue (specifically, the hair follicle has an epithelial root sheath that is similar in origin and cell type to the epidermis). Both are derived from the ectoderm during development and are involved in protective and structural functions related to the integumentary system. The cells in both structures are keratinocytes that produce keratin, and they have a stratified squamous epithelial organization (the epidermis is stratified squamous, and the hair follicle's epithelial sheath has a similar layered, keratin - producing epithelial structure).
The bulk of the hair shaft is composed of a protein called keratin. Keratin is a tough, fibrous protein that provides strength and rigidity to the hair. It is produced by keratinocytes in the hair follicle as they undergo keratinization, where the cells fill with keratin and then die, forming the hard, outer hair shaft.
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A hair follicle (specifically its epithelial root sheath) and the epidermal layer of the skin are both composed of stratified squamous epithelial tissue (keratinized or in the case of the follicle's inner root sheath, in the process of keratinization), derived from ectoderm, and composed of keratin - producing cells (keratinocytes) that contribute to protection and structural integrity of the integumentary system.