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Related Concept Videos

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles01:16

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles

Hair and hair follicles are integral components of the integumentary system. Hair is a filamentous structure composed mainly of a protein called keratin. It is found on the surface of the skin throughout the body, except for areas such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Hair is a keratinous filament growing out of the epidermis. It is primarily made of dead, keratinized cells. Hair strands originate at the epidermal penetration called the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the part...
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair Growth and Types01:20

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair Growth and Types

Hair growth begins with the production of keratinocytes by the basal cells of the hair bulb. As new cells are deposited at the hair bulb, the hair shaft is pushed through the follicle toward the surface. Keratinization is completed as the cells are pushed to the skin surface to form the shaft of hair that is externally visible. The external hair is completely dead and composed entirely of keratin. Hair can be cut or shaven without damaging the hair structure because the cut is superficial. Most...
Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell01:06

Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell

A hair follicle or HF is a small part of the skin that produces the hair shaft. Paul Gerson Unna was the first to observe a bulge in the human hair follicle's outer root sheath (ORS). The bulge is present between the sebaceous gland and the arrector pili muscle and is the niche for hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). The bulge is also a niche for melanocyte stem cells, and their loss results in graying of hair. The HFSCs express Sox9 and Lhx2, which help them maintain stemness and prevent...
Pleiotropy01:33

Pleiotropy

Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
Lethal Alleles02:41

Lethal Alleles

Agouti: A Lethal Allele
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Sebaceous Glands01:21

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Sebaceous Glands

A sebaceous gland is a type of oil gland found almost all over the skin ( except palms and soles) and helps lubricate and waterproof the skin and hair. Most sebaceous glands are associated with hair follicles. They generate and excrete sebum, a mixture of lipids, onto the skin surface, thereby naturally lubricating the dry and dead layer of keratinized cells of the stratum corneum, keeping it pliable.
These glands that produce the oils on the skin and hair are holocrine glands. The mature...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A New Technique for Quantitative Analysis of Hair Loss in Mice Using Grayscale Analysis
06:41

A New Technique for Quantitative Analysis of Hair Loss in Mice Using Grayscale Analysis

Published on: March 9, 2015

Uncombable hair syndrome.

Pamela Calderon1, Nina Otberg, Jerry Shapiro

  • 1Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|August 25, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Uncombable hair syndrome is a rare hair shaft anomaly causing unruly, uncombable hair. Most cases improve by puberty, with no definitive treatment currently available.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Genetics
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Uncombable hair syndrome (UHS) is a rare genetic disorder affecting hair shaft structure.
  • Characterized by unruly, uncombable hair, it presents a unique clinical challenge.

Observation:

  • Microscopic examination reveals characteristic longitudinal grooves and a triangular or kidney-shaped hair cross-section.
  • The condition is typically inherited in an autosomal-dominant pattern, often with variable penetrance.

Findings:

  • Less than 100 cases of UHS have been reported globally.
  • Diagnosis relies on characteristic microscopic hair shaft morphology.

Implications:

  • While no definitive treatment exists, spontaneous improvement often occurs around puberty.

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  • Understanding the genetic basis and clinical course aids in patient management and counseling.