Nail Anatomy & Disorders Flashcards
7 cards from real MNT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Nail Anatomy & Disorders flashcards as text
Which nail structure is responsible for producing the bulk of the nail plate?
Answer: Matrix
The matrix contains germinative cells that actively divide to produce the nail plate.
The pale, half-moon shaped area visible at the base of some nails is called the:
Answer: Lunula
The lunula is the visible distal portion of the matrix that appears white due to incomplete keratinization.
Onycholysis is best defined as:
Answer: Separation of the nail plate from the nail bed
Onycholysis refers to the painless separation of the nail plate from the nail bed, starting distally.
A client presents with small, shallow depressions across the nail plate surface. This finding is most consistent with:
Answer: Nail pitting
Nail pitting appears as small punctate depressions and is classically associated with psoriasis and alopecia areata.
Which of the following best describes Beau's lines?
Answer: Transverse grooves across the nail plate
Beau's lines are transverse grooves caused by temporary arrest of nail matrix activity due to systemic illness or trauma.
The structure that seals the junction between the nail plate and the nail bed distally is the:
Answer: Hyponychium
The hyponychium is the thickened epidermis beneath the free edge that provides a seal against pathogen entry.
Onychogryphosis is characterized by:
Answer: Ram's horn-like thickening and curvature of the nail
Onychogryphosis produces extreme nail thickening and curving, resembling a ram's horn, often seen in elderly patients.