Which statement about the hair shaft layers is true?

• A. The cuticle is the innermost layer.
• B. The cortex is the middle layer that provides pigment and strength.
• C. The medulla surrounds the cortex.
• D. The cuticle contains most pigment.

Answer: (B)

Hair shaft layers consist of the outer protective cuticle, the thick middle cortex, and the inner medulla. The cortex is the middle layer that contains the pigment melanin and provides most of the hair’s strength and elasticity. The cuticle is the outermost protective layer, not the innermost, and the medulla sits at the center within the cortex, not surrounding it (and some hairs lack a medulla). Since pigment is located mainly in the cortex, this statement is true.