Name the three layers of the hair shaft.

• A. Epidermis, Dermis, Hypodermis
• B. Hair Shaft, Cortex, Cuticle
• C. Cuticle, Cortex, Medulla
• D. Medulla, Cortex, Cuticle

Answer: (C)

The three layers of the hair shaft, from outermost to innermost, are cuticle, cortex, and medulla. The cuticle is a protective outer layer made of flattened, scale-like cells that shield the inner layers. Beneath it lies the cortex, the thick middle layer where most of the hair’s strength, flexibility, and color come from its keratin and pigment. The innermost layer is the medulla, a core that is present in many, but not all, hairs and can be absent in finer hair.

This is why the option listing Cuticle, Cortex, Medulla is correct: it names all three layers in the proper order. The other choices mix in skin layers or list an incorrect order or include elements that aren’t layers of the hair shaft.