Nail (anatomy)

This article is about the anatomical features of primates' digits. For the structure on some birds' beaks, see Nail (beak).
This article uses anatomical terminology.
Nail
Human fingernails
Details
SystemIntegumentary system
Identifiers
Latinunguis
MeSHD009262
TA98A16.0.01.001
TA27065
THH3.12.00.3.02001
FMA54326
Anatomical terminology

A nail is a protective plate characteristically found at the tip of the digits (fingers and toes) of almost all primates (exception: Marmosets), corresponding to the claws in other tetrapod animals. Fingernails and toenails are made of a tough rigid protein called alpha-keratin, a polymer also found in the claws, hooves, and horns of vertebrates.[1]

  1. ^ Wang, Bin (2016). "Keratin: Structure, mechanical properties, occurrence in biological organisms, and efforts at bioinspiration" (PDF). Progress in Materials Science. 76: 229–318. doi:10.1016/j.pmatsci.2015.06.001.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.