Which term refers to the white area at the base of the nail?

• A. Hyponychium
• B. Nail plate
• C. Lunula
• D. Eponychium

Answer: (C)

The white area at the base of the nail is the lunula. It’s the visible portion of the nail matrix—the tissue that continuously produces the nail plate. The whiteness comes from the thickened cells of the proximal matrix and the way light reflects through the overlying nail plate, making that crescent-shaped area appear lighter.

Other nail structures include the nail plate, which is the hard keratin structure you see as the nail itself; the eponychium, the skin fold at the proximal edge (often called the cuticle); and the hyponychium, the skin beneath the distal edge of the nail. The lunula is specifically the visible sign of the matrix at the base.