Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: omid on 29/09/2009 09:19:48
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Hey guys today I was told by my biology teacher that humans've hair while animals've fur. so what is the major difference of structure in both of them? [:-\]
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I define hair as all the thread-like growth in the skin of animals, esp. on the human head. Therefore, to me fur is but hair too. The only difference I see is in the definition of fur. I define fur as the soft thick hair covering certain animals (not all). If you asking for the reason behind this difference, a biologist can better answer. (I'm not a biologist and hence, cannot answer)
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So far as I am aware, there is no difference. Hair/fur grows to a set thickness and length, determined by genetic make up. There are different types of hair/fur. On humans the hair tends to be the thick, coarse type, but some will have lighter (often referred to as 'fly away') hair on our head's, facial hair and a few other places, with fine hair elsewhere.
Most animals which have hair/fur, will also have coarse long hair, which is the visible coat. This is for protection against rain and injury and serves as an attraction for males to females and/or camouflage. Then there is a fine shorter hair, largely unseen, which forms an insulating layer.
All hair/fur is made of keratin. It is only the length and thickness which differs.
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I don't know when 'fur' became known as 'hair', but I suspect it was pure terminology intended to set humans, with their 'hair' apart from (and above) the rest of the animal kingdom, with their 'fur'.