Which structure supplies nourishment to the hair bulb?

Which structure supplies nourishment to the hair bulb?

• A. Hair Shaft
• B. Papilla
• C. Cortex
• D. Cuticle

Answer: (B)

Nourishment to the hair bulb comes from the dermal papilla, a small, vascular projection at the base of the follicle. Its network of capillaries delivers nutrients and oxygen to the surrounding hair matrix cells inside the bulb, feeding their activity as they divide and form the hair fiber. This nutrient supply is what enables growth and proper development of the hair strand. The other structures are parts of the hair itself rather than its nourishment source. The hair shaft is the keratin-filled strand that extends upward from the follicle; within it, the cortex provides strength and the cuticle serves as the outer protective layer. They do not contain blood vessels and do not supply nutrients to the bulb; they rely on the papilla for nourishment.

Nourishment to the hair bulb comes from the dermal papilla, a small, vascular projection at the base of the follicle. Its network of capillaries delivers nutrients and oxygen to the surrounding hair matrix cells inside the bulb, feeding their activity as they divide and form the hair fiber. This nutrient supply is what enables growth and proper development of the hair strand.

The other structures are parts of the hair itself rather than its nourishment source. The hair shaft is the keratin-filled strand that extends upward from the follicle; within it, the cortex provides strength and the cuticle serves as the outer protective layer. They do not contain blood vessels and do not supply nutrients to the bulb; they rely on the papilla for nourishment.