Our nails consist of keratin - a protein that is the building material of not only nails, but also hair. Indeed, the word "keratin" comes from the Greek word "horn" (meaning bull horn).
People inherited nails from their ape-like small ancestors - primates, who used nails resembling claws rather for climbing trees.
Our nails are a miserable semblance of claws, suitable only for scratching or pulling a splinter out of the heel. The part of the nail that we polish is called the nail plate. This is a shield that obscures delicate tissue. A nail plate is a non-living tissue, such as leather. There are no blood vessels in the nail, which means that it does not “feed” in the sense of the skin and internal organs.
How do nails grow?
Look at your thumb. Do you see a semicircle at the base of the nail? This is not just a decoration of the nail structure, what you see is a lunula, a group of cells that synthesize keratin. Lyula - factory of nail plates. New tissue of the nail plate is formed in the lunula and added to the existing one. As a result, the old nail is pushed forward and to the sides. This is why the nail grows, although it is "dead." A small piece of skin above the lunula is called a cuticle and protects the keratin producer from damage. The cuticle protects the lunula from bacteria entering it and protects against external mechanical influences: shocks, shock, and so on.
Interesting fact: the older we get, the slower the nails and hair grow.
Health condition and nails
Reading signs on the palms is fun, but reading signs on the nails is a very serious matter. What is written on the nail plate can say a lot about the state of health. If the doctor sees a blue at the base of the nails, this means that blood flow is disturbed in this area. When the nails are convex and resemble an old watch glass, this is a sign of a disease of the lungs, heart or liver. If the nail is sunken, then most likely there is anemia and the blood carries too little oxygen. One of the causes of anemia is a low iron content in food.
Interesting fact: Lunula at the base of the nail - a small factory for the production of nail plates.
Nail growth rate
Nails, like hair, grow more slowly with age. However, with some diseases and with a lack of nutrition, hair growth can slow down at any age. To grow a nail by 2.5 centimeters, it takes about 8 months. And hair grows 10 centimeters during the same time. If you are left-handed, then the nails on your left hand grow slightly - slightly faster, and vice versa. The reason for the rapid growth of nails may be a better blood supply to a more active hand. In any case, the more you use your nails, the faster they grow.
