Nail fold
Nail fold
The nail fold (pronunciation: /neɪl foʊld/) is a structure in the anatomy of the human body that refers to the ridge of skin at the base of the nail plate on the fingers and toes.
Etymology
The term "nail fold" is derived from the Old English "nǣġl" (nail) and the Middle English "folden" (to enclose or wrap).
Anatomy
The nail fold is a part of the nail unit, which also includes the nail plate, nail bed, cuticle, nail matrix, and lunula. The nail fold acts as a barrier, protecting the nail matrix where new nail cells are produced.
Related Terms
- Nail plate: The hard, translucent part of the nail that is visible on the fingers and toes.
- Nail bed: The skin beneath the nail plate.
- Cuticle: The thin layer of dead tissue riding on the nail plate to form a seal between the nail plate and eponychium to prevent pathogens from infecting the matrix area.
- Nail matrix: The part of the nail bed that is beneath the nail and contains nerves, lymph and blood vessels. The matrix produces cells that become the nail plate.
- Lunula: The crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail. The lunula is the visible part of the root of the nail.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Nail fold
- Wikipedia's article - Nail fold
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski