The portion of the hair follicle that contains growth activity is called the?

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

Answer: (C)

Growth activity happens in the hair matrix, a zone at the base of the follicle where cells divide rapidly. These actively dividing cells generate keratinocytes that form the hair shaft and the inner root sheath. As they migrate upward, they keratinize to build the shaft’s layers—the cortex and, within the shaft, the medulla and cuticle. The matrix drives new hair production, while the cortex, medulla, and cuticle are components of the hair shaft produced by those cells, not sites of growth.