Goose bumps

Goose bumps, also called goose pimples in British English, are the bumps on a person's skin at the base of body hairs which may appear when someone is tickled, cold, or feeling strong emotions. Goose bumps happen because of a reflex called piloerection. Tiny muscles in the skin, called arrector pili, become tight and pull hairs upright. Many mammals have this reflex, for example, porcupines, which raise their quills when in danger, or sea otters when they spot sharks or other predators.

References

  1. ↑ McPhetres, Jonathon; Zickfeld, Janis H. (2022-09-01). "The physiological study of emotional piloerection: A systematic review and guide for future research" (PDF). International Journal of Psychophysiology. 179: 6–20. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.010. ISSN 0167-8760. PMID 35764195. S2CID 250058771.
  2. ↑ McPhetres, Jonathon (2024-08-15). "Diverse stimuli induce piloerection and yield varied autonomic responses in humans". Biology Open. 13 (8) bio060205. doi:10.1242/bio.060205. ISSN 2046-6390. PMC 11391818. PMID 38989667.
  3. ↑ "What goosebumps are for | National Institutes of Health (NIH)". www.nih.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  4. ↑ Chapman, David M.; Roze, Uldis (1997-01-01). "Functional histology of quill erection in the porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 75 (1): 1–10. Bibcode:1997CaJZ...75....1C. doi:10.1139/z97-001. ISSN 0008-4301.