Nail Composition Definitions Flashcards
Definition of “Free Edge”
the part of the nail plate, such as the fingernail or toenail, that extends past the edge of the finger or toe
Definition of “Onychodermal Band”
appears as a glassy, greyish band at the point where the nail plate meets the hyponychium
Definition of “Nail Plate”
the visible area from the root to the free edge. it’s made up of several layers of hardened cells
Definition of “Nail Wall”
folds of the skin on either side of the nail groove
Definition of “Lunula”
white half-moon shape at the base of the nail
Definition of “Eponychiam”
the area that overlies the matrix- forms a watertight seal
Definition of “Cuticle”
loose, pliable, overlapping skin which forms a watertight seal; no blood supply
Definition of “Matrix”
active tissue that generates cells which harden as the outward
Definition of “Nail Root”
attached to the matrix, at the base of the nail, under the skin, inside the mantle
Definition of “Mantle”
a pocket-like structure that holds the nail root and nail matrix
Definition of “Nail Bed”
the area of the nail on which the nail plate rests; nerves & blood vessels nourish the entire nail unit
Definition of “Nail Fold”
tracks on either side of the nail that the nail grows along; referred to as the grooves
Definition of “Perionychium”
the skin that touches, overlaps and surrounds the side of the nail
Definition of “Bed Epithelium”
a thin sticky later of epidermis that attaches the nail plate to the nail bed
Definition of “Hyponychium”
the skin under the free edge, acts as a watertight seal.
