The visible part of the nail matrix is called the lanula. Which term describes this?

The visible part of the nail matrix is called the lanula. Which term describes this?

• A. Lanula
• B. Lunula
• C. Nail bed
• D. Matrix

Answer: (A)

The visible pale crescent at the base of the nail is called the lunula, from Latin meaning “little moon” because of its shape. It is the visible portion of the nail matrix—the tissue that produces the nail plate. Lanula is just a misspelling and doesn’t represent the correct term. The nail bed lies beneath the nail plate and is not the visible part of the matrix, while the matrix is the tissue that generates the nail itself. So the term that describes this feature is lunula.

The visible pale crescent at the base of the nail is called the lunula, from Latin meaning “little moon” because of its shape. It is the visible portion of the nail matrix—the tissue that produces the nail plate. Lanula is just a misspelling and doesn’t represent the correct term. The nail bed lies beneath the nail plate and is not the visible part of the matrix, while the matrix is the tissue that generates the nail itself. So the term that describes this feature is lunula.