A specialized hair usually employed for tactile sensation. Vibrissae hair grow around the nostrils, above the lips, and on other parts of the face of most mammals, and all primates except humans. vibrissae are different from other hairs because they are implanted in a special hair follicle incorporating a capsule of blood called a blood sinus and heavily innervated by sensory nerves[WP]. [ https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=3213510&group_id=76834&atid=1205376 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskers ]
Synonyms: touch hair sinus hair vibrissa hair contour hair
Term information
In harbor seals, the structure of the vibrissal shaft is undulated (wavy) and flattened. This specialization is also found in most true seals. In contrast, the whiskers of the California sea lion are circular or elliptical in cross-section and are smooth.