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Article: Goose bumps.
- Article from:
- U.S. Kids
- Article date:
- October 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Children's Better Health Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Some people call them "goose bumps." Others call them "gooseflesh." Some people even call them "goose pimples." No matter what you call them, one thing is certain. You can't decide when to have goose bumps. They happen automatically--such as en you are cold or frightened. Let's find out why!
Your skin is covered with tiny hairs. Each hair is attached to a small muscle under the skin. This muscle is called an arrector pilorum (uh-REK-ter pill-OH-rum), which means "raiser of hair."
When you get cold or frightened, these muscles tighten. This makes the hair stand straight up. The skin around the hair bunches up and makes a little bump, when all of your ...