Which option correctly lists the main components of the nail unit?

• A. Nail plate, nail bed, hyponychium
• B. Nail plate, nail bed
• C. Nail plate, nail bed, nail folds, hyponychium, eponychium (cuticle), matrix, and surrounding skin
• D. Nail plate, matrix

Answer: (C)

Understanding the nail unit means knowing every part that surrounds and supports the nail and where growth begins. The complete set includes the nail plate (the visible hard part), the nail bed beneath it, the nail folds that frame the nail on the sides and at the base, the hyponychium under the free edge, the eponychium (cuticle) at the proximal base, the matrix which lies under the proximal fold and generates the nail plate, and the surrounding skin around the nail. This full list covers both what you can see and the hidden growth origin, giving a complete picture of nail structure and protection. Leaving out any of these elements means the description isn’t fully representative—without the matrix you miss the growth source, without the eponychium or hyponychium you overlook protective skin, and without the nail folds or surrounding skin you miss the shaping and safeguarding around the nail.