Nail Structure and Growth

Multiple Choice

The natural nail unit includes

• All parts of the finger from the tip to the first knuckle

• All parts of the finger to the tip to the second knuckle

• The nail plate and the nail bed but excludes the cuticle

• Only the tip of the finger

Multiple Choice

The natural nail is technically called the

• Hyponychium

• Cuticle

• Lunula

• Onyx

Multiple Choice

The natural nail unit is mainly made up of ____, which is the fiber-shaped protein found in skin and hair.

• Collagen

• Elastin

• Melanin

• Keratin

Multiple Choice

Identify a characteristic of a healthy nail.

• It is soft but inflexible.

• It has 50 to 75 water content.

• Its surface is generally spotted and has deep grooves.

• It is translucent, and the beige pinkish color of the nail bed shows through.

Multiple Choice

The nail bed, nail fold, eponychium, paronychium, and hyponychium are collectively referred to as the

• Cuticle

• Perionychium

• Bed epithelium

• Lunula

Multiple Choice

The _________ is the whole flap that covers the matrix, from the visible nail plate's edge to the first joint of the finger or toe.

• Proximal nail fold

• Bed epithelium

• Perionychium

• Lateral nail fold

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is true of the nail plate?

• It is the hardened keratin plate that rests on top of the nail bed.

• It is the least visible and functional part of the nail unit.

• It is formed by melanocytes.

• It is water-resistant.

Multiple Choice

What is the water content of a healthy nail?

• 5 to 10 percent

• 10 to 20 percent

• 15 to 25 percent

• 20 to 30 percent

Multiple Choice

The _______ is the section of living skin that supports the nail plate as it extends toward the free edge.

• Cuticle

• Nail Matrix

• Eponychium

• Nail Bed

Multiple Choice

The _______ is part of the natural nail that contains nerves, blood vessels, and lymph to nourish cells that differentiate and become keratinized to form the nail plate.

• Cuticle

• Matrix

• Hyponychium

• Eponychium

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements best describes the lunula.

• It is the thin tissue layer between the nail plate and the nail bed.

• It is the nonliving colorless tissue attached to the nail plate.

• It is the section of living skin that supports the nail plate as it extends toward the free edge.

• It is the whitish, half-moon shape under the nail plate's base.

Multiple Choice

Identify a function of the hyponychium.

• It forms a protective barrier that keeps microorganisms from infecting the nail bed.

• It helps guide the nail plate along the nail bed as it grows.

• It forms an important seal between the proximal nail fold and nail plate.

• It attaches the nail bed and matrix to the underlying bone.

Multiple Choice

A tough band of fibrous tissue that links bones or keeps an organ in place is called

• The stratum corneum

• Ligament

• Collagen

• The dermis

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is true of the growth of the nail plate?

• The nail plate's growth is affected by nutrition, exercise, and overall health.

• The nail plate grows only in an almond shape.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following grows the fastest?

• Middle finger

• Thumbnail

• Little finger

• Index finger

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is true of nail growth rates?

• Nail growth rates generally decrease with age.

• Nail plates grow quicker in the winter than in the summer.

• Toenail plates grow quicker than fingernail plates

• Nail growth rates decrease significantly during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Multiple Choice

The average rate of nail plate growth in an adult is about

• 1/10 to 1/8 inches per month

• 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month

• 1/2 to 3/4 inches per week

• 1/8 to 1/6 inch per week

Multiple Choice

The complete nail plate replacement for a fingernail takes about

• 4-6 months

• 2 to 6 weeks

• A year

• Eight months