The portion of living skin that supports the nail plate is the nail _____.

• A. Bed
• B. Plate
• C. Matrix
• D. Folds

Answer: (A)

In nail anatomy, the part of living skin that supports the nail plate is the nail bed. It lies under the nail plate and anchors it to the fingertip, with tiny blood vessels that nourish the plate and give the nail its pink color. The nail plate is the hard, keratin-covered surface you see on top. The matrix sits beneath the proximal nail fold and generates new nail cells to grow the plate, while the nail folds are the skin around the nail. So the nail bed is the living tissue that supports the nail plate.