Hair whorl 5440026 201422549 2008-03-27T21:39:54Z DumZiBoT 6085301 Bot: Converting bare references, see [[User:DumZiBoT/refLinks|FAQ]] A '''Hair whorl''' is a patch of [[hair]] [[growing]] in the opposite direction of the rest of the hair. It occurs in most hairy animals. Hair whorls occur on the body as well as on the head. Hair whorls on the head ([[parietal]] whorls) have been intensively studied because of the association indicated between [[neural development|brain development]] and abnormal hair whorls. (Both brain cells and skin cells are derived from an embryo's [[ectoderm]] tissue.) Abnormal hair whorls are used as a preliminary predictor of abnormal [[temperament]] in most domesticated animals, especially [[cows]]<ref>[http://www.grandin.com/references/hair.whorl.position.html A note on hair whorl position and cattle temperament in the auction ring<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, but also in evaluating the [[mind|mental]] status of [[apes]] and [[humans]]. A recent study found that homosexuals are more likely to have the less common counter-clockwise hair whorl phenotype than heterosexuals.<ref>http://www.iisc.ernet.in/academy/jgenet/Vol83No3/251.pdf</ref> Right and left handedness have also been linked to clockwise and counterclockwise whirls, respectively<ref>[http://www.genetics.org/cgi/reprint/165/1/269.pdf 031003U951<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Parietal whorls which are considered to be normal scalp patterns could be a single whorl or double whorls. Cases of triple parietal scalp whorls are less common but do not necessarily indicate abnormality. Abnormal brain development is usually indicated by the complete absence of hair whorls or abnormal placement of whorls on the scalp. == References == {{Reflist}} [[Category:Developmental biology]] [[Category:Neurology]] {{Medicine-stub}}