The visible pale area at the base of the nail is called the

The visible pale area at the base of the nail is called the

• A. Lunula
• B. Matrix
• C. Mantle
• D. Nail Bed

Answer: (A)

The visible pale area at the base of the nail is the lunula. This white crescent is the visible portion of the nail matrix, the tissue that produces the cells that become the nail plate. The matrix sits under the proximal nail fold, and as new nail cells form and move outward, the lunula appears white because the thickened cells obscure the underlying blood vessels. The rest of the nail bed beneath the nail plate shows a pink color from its blood supply, which is why the lunula stands out as a pale area. The mantle is the skin fold surrounding the nail root, the nail bed is the skin beneath the nail plate, and the matrix is the tissue that generates nail cells—though the matrix is not typically seen as a distinct pale area like the lunula.

The visible pale area at the base of the nail is the lunula. This white crescent is the visible portion of the nail matrix, the tissue that produces the cells that become the nail plate. The matrix sits under the proximal nail fold, and as new nail cells form and move outward, the lunula appears white because the thickened cells obscure the underlying blood vessels. The rest of the nail bed beneath the nail plate shows a pink color from its blood supply, which is why the lunula stands out as a pale area. The mantle is the skin fold surrounding the nail root, the nail bed is the skin beneath the nail plate, and the matrix is the tissue that generates nail cells—though the matrix is not typically seen as a distinct pale area like the lunula.