Which structure lies at the bottom of the hair follicle and nourishes the germinal matrix?

Which structure lies at the bottom of the hair follicle and nourishes the germinal matrix?

• A. Papilla
• B. Medulla
• C. Cortex
• D. Cuticle

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the structure at the base of the hair follicle that feeds the growing hair comes from the dermal papilla. This small, vascular knob sits in the bulb of the follicle and supplies nutrients and signals to the germinal matrix, the living layer where hair cells divide to form the shaft. Without this nourishment from the papilla, the matrix cannot produce hair. The other parts—medulla, cortex, and cuticle—are layers of the hair shaft itself, not providers of nourishment: the medulla is the soft core, the cortex gives most of the hair’s strength and pigment, and the cuticle is the outer protective layer.

The main idea is that the structure at the base of the hair follicle that feeds the growing hair comes from the dermal papilla. This small, vascular knob sits in the bulb of the follicle and supplies nutrients and signals to the germinal matrix, the living layer where hair cells divide to form the shaft. Without this nourishment from the papilla, the matrix cannot produce hair. The other parts—medulla, cortex, and cuticle—are layers of the hair shaft itself, not providers of nourishment: the medulla is the soft core, the cortex gives most of the hair’s strength and pigment, and the cuticle is the outer protective layer.