Nail body (nail plate)The visible hard plate of densely packed dead keratinocytes. It protects the fingertip and helps pick up small objects.
Free edgeThe end of the nail that grows past the fingertip. It is not attached to the nail bed.
LunulaThe crescent at the base of the nail. There a thick layer of epithelium over the matrix hides the pink of the nail bed. Its name means little moon.
Eponychium (cuticle)The nail fold that meets the base of the nail body. Also called the nail cuticle.
Nail rootThe end of the nail under the skin fold. The nail body forms here.
Nail matrixGrowing cells from the stratum basale under the root. They let the nail grow continuously.
Nail bedSpecialised epidermis the nail body rests on. Rich in blood vessels, it makes the nail look pink.
Seen from above: 5 1
Lateral nail foldsFolds of skin that overlap the nail at the sides. They help anchor it.
In section: 4 1
HyponychiumThe area under the free edge, furthest from the cuticle. A thickened layer of stratum corneum.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 5.2 Accessory Structures of the Skin, Nails, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/5-2-accessory-structures-of-the-skin : the nail bed as specialised epidermis at the tips of fingers and toes; the nail body formed on it, of densely packed dead keratinocytes, protecting the tips and backing the fingers for picking up small objects; the nail root with a matrix of proliferating cells from the stratum basale letting the nail grow continuously; the lateral nail fold anchoring the sides; the nail fold at the proximal end forming the cuticle or eponychium; the nail bed rich in blood vessels and pink, except the lunula (little moon) where thick epithelium lies over the matrix; the hyponychium under the free edge, a thickened stratum corneum. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05 by script. Own geometry; proportions checked against the photograph Fingernail label (enwiki).jpg by Kipton, 2007, public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fingernail_label_(enwiki).jpg), and the root under its fold against Gray's Anatomy (1918) fig. 943, Longitudinal section through nail and its nail groove, public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray943.png). Nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
A nail diagram labeled in two views: the fingertip from above, then cut lengthwise to show what the nail grows from and rests on. The same parts apply to a toenail. Start with the 7 main parts.
Read the full guide
What you can see
The nail body is the hard plate, and the free edge is the part past the fingertip. At its base, the lunula is the pale half-moon and the eponychium, or cuticle, is the skin that meets it. Lateral nail folds hold its sides.
What is underneath
The nail grows from the matrix under the nail root, which is hidden by the skin fold. It slides forward over the nail bed, which is rich in blood vessels. Under the free edge is the hyponychium.
The lunula is pale because thick tissue over the matrix hides the pink nail bed underneath.
Questions and answers
Where does a nail grow from?
From the nail matrix under the nail root. Its cells keep dividing, so the nail grows continuously.
What is the difference between the eponychium and the hyponychium?
The eponychium, or cuticle, is the skin fold at the base of the nail. The hyponychium is the thickened skin under the free edge at the tip.
Why is the nail pink?
The nail bed under it is rich in blood vessels. Only the lunula at the base looks paler.