Hair - SEM

This is a scanning electron photomicrograph of hair. The cuticle is a translucent outer layer of the hair shaft consisting of scales that cover the shaft. This illustrates how the cuticular scales always point from the proximal or root end of the hair to the distal or tip end of the hair.

Image courtesy of Microscopy of Hair Part 1: A Practical Guide and Manual for Human Hairs; Forensic Science Communications.