Physiology The nail is an organ, but special – the expert says whether the nails will continue to grow after death

Nails are our joys and sorrows, whatever we do. But what are your nails really?

Research Director, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki Marja Mikkola corresponds to.

What is a nail?

A nail is a group of epidermal cells differentiated into a nail that have died. After death, the cells keratinize, flatten, and condense into a nail plate.

What is keratinization?

When nail-producing cells die, the body recovers the materials from the cell organs. What remains is a water-repellent structure with mainly a protein called sulfur-containing keratin and some fat.

The same goes for the hair and the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis. There is more fat in the skin.

Is the nail an organ?

The nail is a structural and functional entity with specialized tissue types for this purpose.

So it is a body. Sometimes it is also called a mini-organ or auxiliary organ of the skin, but biologically it is a clear organ.

The actual living part of the nail is located under the cuticle. There, stem cells produce nail cells that slowly die and keratinize and continue their journey into nails.

What is the difference between nails and hair?

Keratins are roughly similar in both, but the shape is different.

The nail grows into a thick plate, making it also stronger. Sure, it’s still a little flexible where the hair is.

Nails are growing all the time. The hair, on the other hand, has a resting phase every few years.

The hair falls out at the latest when new hair or hair begins to grow.

Why doesn’t the nail cut hurt but the stick under the nail hurts?

The nail is a dead substance. The nerve endings that transmit pain are located in the blood skin under the epidermis under the nail.

What is the matte white area on the nail at the cuticle?

It is lunula. Keratinization in this area has not yet progressed to completion, so the color is not as translucent as in the longer nail.

Do nails grow at a different rate?

On the toes the nails grow clearly slower than on the hands. The thumb nail would appear to grow the fastest and the little finger nail would grow slowly.

In older people, nail growth slows down.

What else is known about the differences in the growth rate of nails?

Nothing very certain. Yes, the issue has been clarified in several studies, but the data in them are often too small or the methodology is otherwise incomplete. Indeed, research results are often contradictory.

It has been argued that the nails of the right hand would grow faster in the right hand and the nails in the left hand in the left hand, but this has not been confirmed.

Similarly, nails are said to grow faster in summer.

There may be many small differences, but they are difficult to detect, and medical research is focusing on what is considered more important today.

Do old people get brittle?

Yes. In older people, finger nails are often thinner and more fragile than others. Thinning lie also causes embrittlement.

Peripheral blood circulation also deteriorates with age, which can make the nails brittle. Similarly, slowing the growth of nails exposes them to external stress for a longer period of time.

However, the toenails become thicker as a person ages. In many diseases of old age, the fingernails and toes become thicker.

What have been the benefits of nails for the human species?

The nail protects the tactile fingertip, thus helping with a wide range of fine motor skills, such as picking up small things.

Why do nails continue to grow after a person dies?

This is a misunderstanding. When a person dies, water is removed from the skin and the skin shrinks. Because of this, the nail is exposed more under the skin.