The hyponychium is the area of
epithelium
Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellul ...
, particularly the thickened portion, underlying the free edge of the nail plate on the
nail. Its proximal border is immediately distal to distal limit of nail bed—a.k.a. the onychodermal band (the
line
Line most often refers to:
* Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity
* Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system
Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to:
Art ...
along the interface of the nail bed and the nail plate). Its distal border the free edge of the nail plate—or where that edge would project downwards onto the epidermis.
It is sometimes called "the quick" (in its archaic meaning of "living"), as in the phrase
cut to the quick
Cut may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** Cut (ea ...
.
See also
*
Eponychium
In human anatomy, the eponychium is the thickened layer of skin at the base of the fingernails and toenails. It can also be called the medial or proximal nail fold. The eponychium differs from the cuticle; the eponychium comprises live skin cells ...
References
Nail anatomy
{{anatomy-stub