Integumentary System

• Parts of the nail

  • Matrix
  • Lunula
  • Nail proximal
  • Nail bed
  • Nail plate
  • Free edge
• Matrix

  Contains nerves and blood and lymph vessels that produce nail cells
• Lunula


  The whitish "small moon" at the base of the nail, gets its color from the nuclei of living nail cells transitioning from the matrix
• Nail proximal


  Fold of skin that forms a protective barrier to keep bacteria and infection from reaching the matrix
• Nail bed


  The skin underneath the nail plate. It contains blood vessels that supply nutrients to the fingertip
• Nail plate


  The hard, keratin coating on the fingertip. For techs, this is where the magic happens—be it lacquer, gel polish or a set of sculpted tips
• Free edge


  Sometimes called the distal edge because its situated furthest from the nail's origin, the free edge is the growth of the nail beyond the fingertip