Which statement correctly describes nail anatomy?

• A. The nail bed is located in the deeper layer of the dermis and is covered by the nail body.
• B. The nail bed is superficial to the nail body.
• C. The nail body is located within the epidermis.
• D. The nail is living and grows from the surface outward.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how the nail plate (nail body) and nail bed relate to each other. The nail bed sits in the dermis, deep to the surface, and the nail plate covers and rests on top of it. This arrangement means the bed is beneath the nail plate, not above or inside the epidermis, and the plate conceals and protects the bed as the nail grows outward. The nail plate itself is made of dead keratin cells, while growth comes from the living tissue of the nail matrix at the proximal end, not from the surface outward. That combination makes the statement about the nail bed being in the deeper dermal layer and covered by the nail body the correct description.