My fingernails and toenails
My fingernails and toenails are made up of hard skin cells. These cells
are formed by the same protein that makes my hair strong. Animals’ claws
and hoofs are made of the same thing.
My nails grow from the base, where I see a pale shape that looks like
part of the moon. It’s pale because the cells there are smaller than the
other cells in the skin under my nails. The outer skin at the base of my
nails is known as my cuticle.
My nails grow all the time. If I make a mud pie, or play with sand, dirt
gets under the tips of my fingernails. So I scrub them and clip them to
keep them clean. I clip my toenails straight across so they won’t gi’ow
back into the flesh at the corners of my toes.
Why do I have nails? To protect the ends of my fingers and toes!
Fingernails
Toenails
