Are nails bones?

Nails are an organ of the human body and are relatively hard. So are nails bones? Some people may have doubts about this issue. In fact, nails are not bones. They are just appendages of human skin. Nails grow and develop through the nail bed. Nails play a very important role in our work and life. Let us learn more about the structure and composition of nails.

Briefly describe the structure and composition of nails

Nails are equivalent to the stratum corneum of the skin, but instead of living cells, they are thin plates composed of hard keratin, with keratinized cells tightly arranged together.

Compared with the stratum corneum of the skin, the lipid content of nails is lower, about 0.15%~0.75%, but the sulfur content is more than 3%, which is more than the stratum corneum of the skin.

Although nails and hair have different shapes, because they are made of the same keratin protein, the amino acid composition of nails is similar to that of hair.

Nails are formed by nail matrix cells. Nail matrix cells grow on the nail bed and along the nail bed toward the fingertip. This is the growth phenomenon of nails.

The nail bed replenishes moisture to the nails and, together with the nail contour, plays a role in adjusting the nails to extend neatly in a certain direction. The part of the nail that extends away from the nail bed is called the free margin of nail. Since it is difficult to replenish water, this part loses moisture, becomes brittle and easily damaged.

The half-moon-shaped milky white part at the base of the nail is called the lunua. The nail here is not fully formed and has not yet fully keratinized. The half-moon of the nail is somewhat softer than the rest of the nail and is not completely connected to the underlying part.

The skin surrounding the edge of the nail is called the nail contour. The skin at the root of the nail is the posterior nail contour, and the skin on both sides is the lateral nail contour.

The epithelium covering the nails is called the nail epithelium, which plays a role in protecting immature nails. Without the nail epithelium, the nails are easily injured, sometimes causing the new nails to have abnormal shapes.