Development and Function
Underarm hair, as human body hair, normally starts to appear at the beginning of puberty, with growth usually completed by the end of the teen-age years. The evolutionary significance of human underarm hair is still debated. It may naturally wick sweat or other moisture away from the skin, aiding in maintaining good ventilation. Colonization by odor-producing bacteria is thereby transferred away from the skin (see skin flora). Underarm hair may also provide a natural anti-friction quality between the upper arm and the thorax.. A more controversial view is that it may facilitate the release of sexual-attractant pheromones from the underarm.
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Famous quotes containing the words development and, development and/or function:
“Theories of child development and guidelines for parents are not cast in stone. They are constantly changing and adapting to new information and new pressures. There is no “right” way, just as there are no magic incantations that will always painlessly resolve a child’s problems.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“On fields all drenched with blood he made his record in war, abstained from lawless violence when left on the plantation, and received his freedom in peace with moderation. But he holds in this Republic the position of an alien race among a people impatient of a rival. And in the eyes of some it seems that no valor redeems him, no social advancement nor individual development wipes off the ban which clings to him.”
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“Uses are always much broader than functions, and usually far less contentious. The word function carries overtones of purpose and propriety, of concern with why something was developed rather than with how it has actually been found useful. The function of automobiles is to transport people and objects, but they are used for a variety of other purposes—as homes, offices, bedrooms, henhouses, jetties, breakwaters, even offensive weapons.”
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