Which hair component is the innermost layer of coarse beard hair?

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

Answer: (B)

Beard hair has distinct internal layers, and the innermost one is the medulla. It sits at the center of the hair shaft and is often made up of loosely packed cells with air spaces. In coarse beard hair, this central core is typically present, forming the core around which the cortex is built. The cortex lies outside the medulla and provides most of the hair’s strength and color, while the cuticle is the outer protective layer of flattened cells. The follicle, on the other hand, is the skin structure that surrounds the root of the hair, not a layer of the hair shaft itself. So the innermost layer of coarse beard hair is the medulla.