ABSTRACT
The human nail, equivalent to claws and hooves in other mammals, acts as a protective covering for the delicate tips of the fingers and toes against trauma, enhances the sensation of fine touch, and enables one to retrieve and manipulate objects. The nail is also used for scratching and grooming, as a cosmetic organ, and by some to communicate social status. The appearance of the nail plate is a thin, hard, yet slightly elastic, translucent, and convex structure (1).
