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Black hair is a protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the dermis of the skull. There are varieties of cats, dogs, and mice bred to have little or no visible fur. In some species, black hair is absent at certain stages of life. The main component of black hair fiber is keratin. Keratins are proteins: long chains of amino acids.
Some so-called "black hairs" (trichomes) are also found on plants. The projections on arthropods such as insects and spiders are actually insect bristles, composed of a polysaccharide called chitin.
Found exclusively in mammals, it is one of the defining characteristic of the |
mammalian class. Although many other organisms, especially insects, show filamentous outgrowths, these are not considered "black hair" in the scientific sense. The black hair of non-human mammal species is commonly referred to as fur. |
