The lesson film
Nail Anatomy
Video coming soon.
Start with the written lesson below.
What you’ll learn
- Identify the nail plate, bed, matrix, and free edge.
- Distinguish living protective tissue from nonliving cuticle.
- Explain why anatomy guides gentle preparation.
Lesson
The nail unit
The nail plate is the hard keratin structure you see. It rests on the nail bed, the living tissue beneath it. The matrix produces the nail plate; damage to this growth area can affect how the nail develops.
Protect the living tissue
The eponychium is living tissue at the proximal nail fold. The cuticle is nonliving tissue that adheres to the nail plate. These are different structures: preparation should never mean indiscriminately cutting living skin.
The underside and edge
The hyponychium is the protective tissue beneath the free edge. The free edge extends beyond the fingertip. Avoid digging beneath it or disrupting its seal.
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Knowledge check
Check your understanding. Choose one answer for each question.
1. Where is the nail plate produced?
2. Which structure is hard keratin?
3. Which action protects the hyponychium?