Having a Good Hair Day

This week, the 5th and 6th graders at CHA acted as forensic scientists by identifying hair samples!

First, we discussed who actually has hair (only mammals) and some functions of hair on animal bodies (e.g., for UV protection, for camouflage, for sensory tools like whiskers).

Then students examined cards with microscope images of unknown hair samples and compared them with a master key of hair medulla patterns in order to determine the species of each hair sample. They got to identify hair from mice, dogs, cats, and even humans! Once they were hair experts – and could tell a dog hair from a rabbit hair – students had a chance to examine professional slides of hair under compound microscopes to better understand how hair samples of each species are unique.

 

 

 

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