Human hair with follicle attached (Chinese origin), SEM

False-coloured scanning electron micrograph showing the surface of a single strand of hair from a male of Chinese descent. A hair follicle is still attached at one end (left). Hair follicles are structures in the skin through which hair grows. They also anchor each strand of hair into the skin. The hair shaft is made up of several layers of a tough protein called keratin. The outer layer (cuticle) is visible here and is made up of overlapping, tightly packed scales. This particular strand of hair has a very smooth cuticle. Horizontal width of image is 1.39 mm.