2006-06-10 15:01:45 · 6 answers · asked by K C 2 in Health ➔ Women's Health
Thanks for your interesting question. Human fingernails are not made of stiff hair but are actually made from skin cells.
Nails grow from a "growth plate" located at the base of the nail. It's the half-moon shaped area at the base of the nail near where the skin connects. Nails are fomed by special cells called epithelium. Epithelial cells grow from the growth plate and as they mature, they are pushed outward. During growth they die and the inside of the cells become filled with a hard protein called "Keratin". It is the keratin that makes our nails hard and tough.
2006-06-10 15:24:17 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 16⤊ 3⤋
I remember reading the answer to this one a long time ago. I think it was a protein called chitlin. Something like that. I also read it is what the bodies of insects are made out of also.
2006-06-10 15:08:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
fingernails are made of protien, itsa shown through nitric acid tests. if whatever u r testing turns yellow it means that proien is present. your nails turn yellow when placed in nitric acid
2006-06-10 15:30:57 · answer #3 · answered by blackprincess 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your fingernails are made of calcium and keratin
2006-06-10 15:54:58 · answer #4 · answered by truelovelylady83 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dead skin cells.
2006-06-10 15:07:57 · answer #5 · answered by dragonfiredesire 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
protein
2006-06-10 15:07:24 · answer #6 · answered by margarita 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋