![nail matrix nail matrix](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cristina-Beiu/publication/338534264/figure/download/fig2/AS:846189897469954@1578758801900/Nail-apparatus-lentigo-A-Macroscopic-image-B-Dermoscopic-image-that-reveals-a.png)
![nail matrix nail matrix](https://d3i71xaburhd42.cloudfront.net/a4831c069e15d4001a020a2bdd600e8318a0cdda/3-Figure3-1.png)
The cuticle is a layer of epidermis that folds back over the surface of the nail plate at its base. The eponychium is a small band of epithelium that covers the proximal aspect of the nail the paronychium is a similar border tissue around the medial and lateral borders. As these cells are produced, older cells are pushed forward and compressed, giving rise to the typical growing pattern of the nail. Within the nail bed is the germinal matrix, the source of cells that become the nail plate. So-called “capillary refill” indicates good flow.) (The function of these blood vessels can be assessed by compressing the nail to momentarily occlude them, and then releasing the pressure. The nail bed contains nerves, lymphatics and capillaries. The nail bed is the tissue that lies beneath the nail plate. The nail plate (which, in layman’s terms, is the “nail” itself) is a hard sheet of translucent keratin in which lie several layers of dead, compacted cells. The nail is a plate of keratin that covers the dorsal aspect of the distal phalanges of the fingers and toes (Figure 1). Last, the nail may display signs of underlying systemic disease. The nail is also susceptible to infection and may be the site of tumors, both benign and malignant. The fingernail is the most frequently injured portion of the finger secondary to its prominent location. In addition to protecting the fingertip, it provides tactile sensation, aids in thermoregulation, and assists in picking up small objects it also has dense lymphatics in the hyponychium that help resist infection. The fingernail serves multiple functions.