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0:00
Hello, I'm Desmond Tobin,
Director of the Center for Skin
Sciences at the
University of Bradford.
Over the next hour
or so I would like
to discuss with you the
fundamentals of the hair follicle
and how it produces its main
secreted product, the hair fiber.
0:17
My talk will be
structured as follows.
I will give a little context
on the biological value of hair
as the major appendage of the skin.
Then I will describe how the
hair follicle coordinates
several distinct
histological cell types,
and can be viewed
therefore as a mini organ.
From there I will briefly discuss
the development of the hair
follicle, first
during embryogenesis.
Once developed the hair
follicle then enters
a lifelong cyclical
activity, a feature
that makes it unique
in the mammalian body.
Much of the recent biomedical
interest in the hair follicle
stems from its significant
regenerative capacity.
So I will talk briefly about
its complement of stem cells.
Note the general area of stem cells
will be a feature of its own series
in the Henry Stewart
Talks collection.
Another major development in hair
follicle science over the last 10
years has been the rather unexpected
inclusion of the hair follicle
in the nuero-endocrine
family of body tissues.
This will be covered
only briefly here.
However, one of the hair follicle
traits that is tightly connected
to the neuro-endocrine system
is its pigmentation system.
And this will be covered here.
Finally, I will conclude the
talk with an overview of a couple
of the more common
hair growth disorders,
alopecia areata and common baldness.
1:31
So the next slides show the
biological value of hair.
1:36
Given the strategic position
on the surface of our bodies
it can be appreciated that skin
provides a biological barrier that
needs to protect us
from the fluctuating
and often noxious
external environment.
The skin is equipped not
only as a physical barrier,
but also as a sensing organ
that recognizes, discriminates,
and integrates
signals emanating from
both outside and inside our bodies.
It does this by harnessing
the capabilities
of its immune, pigmentary,
and neuro-endocrine systems.
The skins major appendage,
the hair follicle,
also contributes significantly
to the overall skin function
via its protective,
sensory, tissue maintenance,
and immune associated capabilities.
