What are the three layers of hair?

• A. Medulla, Cortex, Cuticle
• B. Epidermis, Dermis, Hypodermis
• C. Cuticle, Cortex, Medulla
• D. Subcutaneous layer, Cortex, Cuticle

Answer: (C)

Hair strands have three layers from outside to inside: cuticle, cortex, medulla. The cuticle is the thin, protective outer covering made of overlapping cells. Beneath it lies the cortex, the thick middle layer where most of the hair’s strength, elasticity, and color come from. The medulla sits at the center as the innermost core, and it may be absent in very fine hair. The description that lists these layers in the correct outer-to-inner order is Cuticle, Cortex, Medulla. Other options mix in skin layers, place the layers in the wrong order, or include terms not part of the hair strand, so they don’t accurately describe hair anatomy.