Everyone experiences tiny bumps on the skin that looks like the skin of a plucked bird, called goosebumps.
Goosebumps form for what?
In medical terms this phenomenon named piloerection, cutis anserina and horripilation. Most of the time goosebumps form when you are cold. And, they form when you experience a strong emotional feeling like excitement, joy, or sadness. You may not notice that during times of physical exertion or even for small activities like having a bowel movement, goosebumps may occur.
When Goosebumps come out?
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Most of the time goosebumps form when you are cold. And, they form when you experience a strong emotional feeling like excitement, joy, or sadness. You may not notice that during times of physical exertion or even for small activities like having a bowel movement, goosebumps may occur.
Reason behind the Goosebumps
It is a bodily response to internal or external stimulants. In the cold environment, goosebumps help to keep the body warm. This is a helpful body reaction for the animals who have covered with fur. But why have we humans evolved to hang on to this pointless physical reaction to the cold?
New research conducted by Harvard University, shows an answer for that: regulating stem cells(1) that control hair follicles(2) and hair growth.
While the connection between nerve and muscles is already known in this system, but the link to the hair regulating stem cells is a completely new discovery. And normally neurons tend to prefer the connection to other neurons or muscles, but here those connections are made to stem cells instead.
Furthermore, it revealed how prolonged cold puts the sympathetic nerves in a state of high level of activation. More neurotransmitters are released, triggering quicker activation of the stem cells and ultimately quicker hair growth.
However, researchers intend to do further work to find out the interaction between the external environment and the stem cells in the skin.
(1) Stems cells – body can use stem cells to create other cells
(2) Hair follicles – they regulate hair growth through a complex interaction between hormones, neuropeptides and immune cells.
