ANIMAL HAIR

Comparison with Human Hair

ANIMAL HAIRS• Animal hairs are classified into the following three basic types.• Guard hairs that form the outer coat of an animal and provide protection • Fur or wool hairs that form the inner coat of an animal and provide insulation • Tactile hairs (whiskers) located on the head provide sensory functions • Types of hairs found on animals include tail hair and mane hair (horse,

zebra).

Hair RootsHair Roots

Pulled Forcibly Removed Shed

Tip of the ShaftTip of the Shaft

Burned Cut Razored Split

ANIMAL HAIR GROUPINGS

• Animal hairs can be classified into three groups based on their microscopic appearance.

• Deer family and antelope

• Commercial fur animals

• Domestic animals

DEER AND ANTELOPE

• Deer and antelope species are distinguished by the cuticle scale pattern

• Very coarse overall diameter (approximately 300m)

• Medulla composed of spherical cells that occupy entire hair

• Diameter constant throughout most of hair

• Wineglass-shaped root

• Regular wave or crimp

COMMERCIAL FUR

• Commercial fur animals are distinguished on the basis of their

• Color or color bands• Cuticle scale patterns • Medullary structure• Very fine to medium overall

diameter (20 to 150μ)• Characteristic medullary

formations (series or spaced)• Wide diameter variations in

single hair• Hairs generally banded

DOMESTIC ANMIALS

• Domestic animals are distinguished by:

• Root structure• Medullary structure• Pigmentation• In order to distinguish between dog,

cat, cow and horse, the root MUST be present.

• Medium overall diameter (75 to 150μ)

• Medulla generally amorphous• Moderate diameter variation in single

hair• Hairs generally unbanded• Characteristic root shapes

CUTICLE SCALES: CROWN

• Scales shaped like a crown

• Found in small rodents and bats

• Crown pattern never seen in human hair

FREE-TAILED BAT HAIR

CUTICLE SCALES: SPINOUS

• Spinous or petal-like scales are triangular in shape and protrude from the hair shaft.

• They are found at the proximal region of mink hairs and on the fur hairs of seals, cats, and some other animals.

• They are never found in human hairs.

CUTICLE SCALES: IMBRICATE

• The imbricate or flattened scales type consists of overlapping scales with narrow margins

• They are commonly found in human hairs and many animal hairs

• This is the scale pattern in human hairs

HUMAN HAIR

UNISERIAL LADDER• Picture of a medulla pattern uniserial ladder • Pattern is repeated over and over in the center

of the hair shaft• This hair is from a Guinea Pig

MULTISERIAL PATTERN• The picture below shows a multiserial ladder • This type of medullary pattern is found in rodent hair• This picture is of another type of rabbit hair

CELLULAR• PICTURED BELOW IS THE CELLULAR TYPE OF

MEDULLARY PATTERN• THE CENTER OF THE HAIR SHAFT IS HOLLOW IN

APPEARANCE• THIS IS A RED FOX HAIR

LATTICE• Lattice medullary pattern • This pattern is found in the

hairs of the deer family

ANIMAL HAIRS• Animal hairs are classified into the following four basic types.• Guard hairs that form the outer coat of an animal and provide protection • Fur or wool hairs that form the inner coat of an animal and provide insulation • Tactile hairs (whiskers) located on the head provide sensory functions • Types of hairs found on animals include tail hair and mane hair (horse,

zebra).

Hair RootsHair Roots

Pulled Forcibly Removed Shed

OVID BODIES

• Ovoid bodies are large (larger than pigment granules), solid structures that are spherical to oval in shape, with very regular margins.

• They are abundant in some cattle and dog hairs as well as in other animal hairs.

Dog Ovoid bodies

Cattle ovoid bodies

DOMESTIC CATS

• Diameter: fine; little variation

• Medulla: uniserial ladder (fur hairs) continuous; occasionally vacuolated in coarser hairs

• Scales: spinous; very prominent

• May be banded

• Root: elongated, no distinct shape; fibrils frayed at base of root

Cat root

Cat hair

DOMESTIC DOG

• Diameter: fine to coarse (usually coarser than cat hairs); diameter may vary to give short hairs a barrel-like appearance

• Medulla: continuous, vacuolated to amorphous, occasionally very broad

• Scales: generally not prominent

• Unbanded: pigment occasionally very coarse and extending into root

• Root: spade-shaped

Dog Root

Dog Hair