Histomorphometric Study of Hair Follicle of Assam Hill Goat During Preruminant, Transitional and Ruminant Age Groups

The study investigated the histomorphometric features of hair follicles in 18 Assam Hill Goats across three age groups: preruminant (0-3 weeks), transitional (3-8 weeks), and ruminant (above 8 weeks), with six goats in each group. It identified two types of hair follicles: primary and secondary. Primary follicles, larger in diameter, were associated with arrector pili muscles, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands, while secondary follicles were occasionally linked to sebaceous glands. In ruminant goats, follicular groups were well-defined, and various micrometrical parameters, such as the length of hair follicles and the diameter of primary follicles, were significantly higher compared to the other age groups. The study detailed the structure of hair follicles, including the presence of melanocytes and the composition of the inner and outer root sheaths, and noted the abundance of elastic fibers at the arrector pili muscle insertion site.