Final answer:
The part of the hair responsible for providing strength, elasticity, and natural color is the cortex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The part of the hair responsible for providing strength, elasticity, and natural color is the cortex. The cortex is the middle layer of the hair shaft, composed of compressed, keratinized cells. It determines the hair's texture and contains pigment cells that give the hair its natural color. It is surrounded by the cuticle, the outermost layer, and sometimes the medulla, the innermost layer, although not all hair has a medullary layer.