Question

Why is hair loss more in old age?
A) Reduction of blood supply
B) Decrease in protein synthesis
C) Low energy production
D) Reduced storage of glycogen

Answer 1

A hair is a thin structure containing the protein keratin. Each hair is anchored to the scalp or the skin through the hair follicles. Under the hair follicles are a mass of tissue called the hair bulb where cells keep dividing continuously and contribute to the length of the hair strand.

Complete answer:
Hair loss is a commonly occurring phenomenon which occurs in daily life. This generally happens due to wearing by factors like harsh weather, breakage, tangling of hair, etc.Sometimes, extreme hair fall is observed in people who suffer from genetic conditions like alopecia. Hair fall is also observed in patients who undergo harsh medical treatments like chemotherapy, etc.

The aforementioned reasons for hair loss are all either caused by external factors or by genetic conditions and are hence not related to hair fall resulting from old age.

An important factor responsible for the growth of healthy hair is the provision of ample amounts of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles harbouring the hair bulb; this is facilitated by the blood capillaries of the circulatory system.

Now, let us look at each option one by one-

Option A: Reduction of blood supply is associated with the reduced cardiac output associated with senescence (aging). This affects the amount of oxygen and nutrients received by hair follicles as a person reaches old age. Therefore, this is the correct option.
Option B: Decrease of protein synthesis is generally observed in muscle cells during old age due to increased stress. This does not necessarily affect the growth of hair in elderly. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option C: Low energy production in elderly is generally a causative of stress and environmental factors along with some medical conditions. All these factors generally affect the bone and skeletal muscles. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option D: Reduced storage of glycogen is not necessarily a factor related to aging. Reduction in the amount of glycogen occurs mainly because the body has run out of glucose and the stored glycogen due to intense work and this leads to tiredness. This tiredness can be easily overcome by intake of high calorie foods. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Hence, the correct answer is (A) reduction of blood supply.

Note: Baldness is also a result of extreme hair fall and is generally observed in males. This is because in certain families, the men carry the gene responsible for baldness and this gene is located on the Y chromosome. As a result, this condition is only passed on to the male progeny and does not affect females.