Nails and Hair:

Hair and nails are essential components of the integumentary system. “Hairs facilitate sensation and protect most of the body, while nails help safeguard the fingers and toes. Nails are formed on top of a nail bed and protect the back surfaces of the fingertips and the tops of the toes; in doing so, they create a support to make it easier to pick up small objects with our fingers.

Hair supplies protection and thermoregulation, allowing it to sense changes in the environment. Made up of keratinized (dead cells, so it is not capable of sensation. Hair originates from hair follicles in the dermal layer; the hair root is anchored in a follicle, and the hair bulb surrounds a hair papilla. Hair cells grow out from the basal layer of the hair bulb and push the hair outward, toward the skin surface.

Hair papilla contains blood vessels and nerve endings from the dermis, allowing sensation. Scientists state that hair follicles are much more sensitive than skin, which helps protect the skin from insect bites and other dangers on the skin surface. Each hair root is connected to a muscle called the arrector pili, which contracts to respond to specific signals to make the hair “Stand up”(Gitters). For instance, goosebumps on the skin provide an extra layer of insulation when a person is cold or startled.

Hair Color gets its distinctive colors from melanin, which is produced by melanocyte cells in the hair papilla. Hair shaft sticks out beyond the skin surface; core is medulla, which is surrounded by the outer cortex of densely packed keratinized cells. Sometimes people's bone marrows have no medulla. The shape and structure of the cortex determine whether someone's hair is straight or curly.

Structure of the Human Nail:

The root of the nail is embedded beneath the skin and extends into the finger or toe. The edge is the lunula, a crescent-shaped structure. The nail bed lies under the nails and runs from the root to the tip of the finger or toe; it contains blood vessels, nerves, and melanocytes. The nail plate, also known as the nail, is the actual nail and is composed of keratin. It will appear pink due to the underlying blood vessels.

Anatomy of the Nail:

Free Edge, Nail Plate, Lateral Nail Fold, Lunula, Cuticle, Proximal Nail Fold, Nail Bed, Hyponychium, Sterile Matrix, Germinal Matrix, Nail Root, Nail Matrix, Dermis, Epidermis, Capillaries and veins, Phalanx.