Nail Basics
Nail Structure
Growth and Health
Cuticle and Friends
100

What is the technical term for the natural nail?

Onyx

100

What part supports the nail plate and contains blood vessels?

Nail Bed

100

How much does the average nail grow per month?

1/10 to 1/8 inch

100

What is the thin, nonliving tissue that seals the space between the nail plate and the proximal nail fold?

The Cuticle

200

Natural Nails are made mostly of what protein?

Keratin

200

What is the visible portion of the nail that rest on the nail bed?

nail plate

200

True or False: Fingernails grow faster than toenails

TRUE

200

What is the living skin at the base of the nail plate that covers the matrix?

Eponychium

300

Describe the appearance of a healthy nail

Firm, flexible, smooth and pinkish with no spots or discoloration

300

What is the band of fibrous connective tissue that attaches the nail bed and matrix to the bone?

Specialized ligaments

300

What season do nails tend to grow faster?

Summer

300

Which part of the nail is the protective barrier under the free edge?

Hyponychium

400

What percentage of water content does a natural nail typically contain?

15-25 percent

400

What are the folds of skin on either side of the nail called?

Nail Folds

400

What are two factors that can increase or decrease nail growth?

Age, Pregnancy, seasons, health

400

What is commonly mistaken for the cuticle, but should never be cut?

Eponychium

500

Which part of the nail extends over the fingertip?

Free Edge

500

What part of the nail unit produces cells that from the nail plate?

Matrix

500

What can help maintain healthy nails?

Proper nutrition and care (hydration, cleanliness, avoiding trauma, regular manicures)

500

What is the whitish half moon shape at the base of the nail plate?

Lunula

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