Slide 44 Image 2/7
Hair follicle, - high mag.
The hair consists entirely of keratinized epithelial cells. In coarse hairs a central medulla consists of a few keratinized cells. The cortex is the thickest portion, its keratinized cells have pigment in them. The cuticle is the outermost, single layer of anucleate, scale-like cells.
The follicle surrounding the hair consists of:
Dermal root sheath: the outer covering consisting of a thick basement membrane surrounded by fine and dense ct fibers.
Epidermal root sheath: 1) Outer, lies adjacent to the ct, consisting of mostly polygonal cells, and is a direct continuation of the st. basale & spinosum of the epidermis. 2) Inner, grows from the hair bulb, is composed of soft keratin, bright pink and adjacent to the hair. The innermost of its layers is the cuticle composed of anucleate, scale-like, keratinized cells which interlock with the cuticular cells of the hair.