Scientists continue to study the phenomenon of "goose skin" and commit
When you feel cold, fear or excitement, the hair on your skin stand on end. In people, this phenomenon is called gooseflesh or goosebumps, as if to say, scientifically, it is — piloerection. For a long time the reason for the mobility of the hair on the human body were unknown but, in the end, the researchers decided that the ability was handed down to us from ancient ancestors. It is believed that thousands of years ago standing on end hair allows people to keep warm and not freeze in the cold. But in the animal world piloerection allows you to become visually longer at the expense of increasing the size coat and thus scare away predators. After ascertaining all these facts, scientists were sure that goose bumps no longer need us, because we at least have a warm jacket. However, recently revealed that this feature of the body stimulates the growth of hair.
The Results of the scientific work conducted by researchers from the American state of Massachusetts, was published in . In the study, they re-examined the mechanism of occurrence of tingling in the hope of finding at least one useful for us at the moment function. As experimental animals was selected as the laboratory mouse. Provoking them the appearance of ants, the scientists found that the muscle lifting the hair up, is directly connected with the nerves emanating from the spinal cord. In response to cold and other stimuli, these nerves activate the tiny muscles that affect the hair follicles.
Interesting fact: goose bumps do not occur on the face, because standing on end, eyebrows, mustache and beard would have closed us a review
All this scientists have known for a long time, but in the course of the study revealed one interesting detail. Was that responsible for the appearance of needles system is also closely linked with stem cells. They are available in many multicellular organisms and are able to differentiate into cells of different organs and tissues. Prolonged exposure to cold, this system causes the stem cells to rebuild hair follicles from which the hair grows. On this basis, the researchers concluded that goosebumps stimulate hair growth to improve the protection from the cold in the future.
Think of "goose skin" still no sense
Currently a new feature and needles were found only in mice. However, between them and the people have a lot in common and that is why rodents are most commonly used in scientific research. So, goose skin in our body can play the same role. Only whether it is necessary to us? In fact, the results of only slightly opened at that moment as goose bumps to help us deal with the cold. But today we have warm clothes and the ability to us, to a greater extent, to anything.
It would be much more interesting to know why goose bumps occur when listening to good music, the test of fear or sexual arousal. Also the strangeness of the skin occur when the grinding sound of metal on glass — why our body responds to such events? Can I somehow help us better to enjoy the fun or easier to bear a little stress? To these questions scientists still have no answer — except that it is known that in this process the huge role is played by the released adrenaline.
And they say that pictures do not make a sound…
Details about goose bumps recently wrote my colleague Love Sokovikova. In she how again raised the issue of the emergence of chills when listening to music and pleasant memories. One theory says that goose bumps arise from the release of adrenaline, which is actively produced in the adrenal glands. The so-called stress hormone, not only causes contraction of the muscles near the hair follicle, but also involved in many other processes inside our body. In General, if you are interested in this topic, I recommend the article Love to read.
Also on a similar topic person suggest to read the article about whether it is possible to grow the larva of any insect right beneath the skin. It would seem that people should on the contrary try to prevent larvae in your body. However, devoted to the study of insects, the greater part of his life, the scientist Peter Naskrecki volunteered to grow inside tiny parasites. What happened, you can read .
