Lunula (anatomy)
| Lunula | |
|---|---|
The lunula is the white crescent-shaped area at the base of a nail. | |
| Details | |
| Part of | Fingernail or toenail |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | lunula |
| TA98 | A16.0.01.005 |
| TA2 | 7067 |
| TH | H3.12.00.3.02006 |
| FMA | 77858 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The lunula (pl.: lunulae; from Latin 'little moon') is the crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail.
In humans, it appears by week 14 of gestation, and has a primary structural role in defining the free edge of the distal nail plate (the part of the nail that grows outward).