Hair and Flowers; Hands and Wings

Human hair is fascinating. At the base of a hair is a follicle—a little hole in your scalp or on your skin that’s perfect for planting a little bulb.

The bulb contains all the actively dividing cells. This is where new hair starts to grow. Inside the follicle, along with the bulb, you have a papilla—a cluster of blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen as the hair grows. There’s a gland that excretes oil to coat your hair, and another gland that helps it stand on its end from time to time.

The shaft is the part of the hair that grows out beyond your skin.

Likewise, if you want to plant a flower in your garden, you need to start by digging a little follicle—a hole in the ground that’s perfect for planting your little bulb.

The bulb of the flower contains all the actively dividing cells. Nutrients are supplied steadily from the bulb upward, as the flower begins to grow out of the ground. There are glands that protect the flower’s surface, and other glands that make the flower stan…