Question

Human Hair #1 Human Hair #2 Human Hair #3 Human Hair #4

Which photograph shows the proximal end of a hair? How do you know? What hair growth phase was it likely to be in when it was separated from the head?

Question 5.      Which photograph shows the distal end of a hair? How do you know? Describe its appearance.

Question 6.      What characteristics found in hair #1 help confirm it is a human hair?

Question 7.      If all of the characteristics of an unknown hair are the same as those of a hair from a known person, can you say the unknown hair definitely belongs to the known person? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Human hair #3 shows the proximal end. Because the root end is called the proximal end. The hair was in telogen phase when the hair is released from the head.

5.The growing tip end of the hair is called distal end. Human hair #4 with the growing tip shows the distal end.

6. In human hair medulla is discontinuous and in animal hair medulla is continuous. In human hair, the width of the cortex is greater than medulla but in animal hair, it is less than width of medulla. Since these features are seen in hair #1, it is a human hair.

7. No, the unknown hair is to be subjected for DNA analysis to confirm the identity rather than to look into characteristics.