For the fertilization process.
The ear is a female inflorescence, the main elements of which are the ovaries with pistils.
The ovaries are protected by the dense husks of the ear, which safeguard them from damage and disease, but at the same time make it difficult for pollen, necessary for fertilization, to access.
For this reason, the pistils are significantly elongated and protrude from the ear to capture pollen that is carried by the wind. The elongated styles of the pistils make up the corn 'hairs'.
