Anatomy and Structure of Finger Nails
When you look at your nails, the visible hard keratin structure growing over the tip of your fingers and toes is only one single part of the nail structure. It is called nail plate. There are many different parts in nail structure. Each part interacts with the others to keep the nail healthy.
Matrix is a small area of living tissue below the eponychium.
Matrix is the most important part of the nail. It produces keratin protein cells that create the nai plate. If the matrix becomes damaged, the effects are usually seen in the nail place. The damaged matrix area can cause splits, ridges, white spots, and other deformities of the natural nail plate.
The size and shape of the matrix determine the thickness and width of the nail plate. A wider matrix makes a wider nail plate. The longer matrix creates thicker nail plate.
Nail Plate: The nail plate is the hard part keratin structure growing over the tip of the nail. The part of the nail plate growing beyond the fingertip is called the free edge.
Cuticle Cuticle is a thin layer of colorless, dead tissue shed from underside of eponychium.It seals the space between the eponychium and the nail plate to prevent infections of the matrix.
Hyponychium: Hyponychium is the point at the tip of your finger at which your nail plate separates from your nail bed. Hyponychium protects the nail bed from pathogents under the free edge.
