The nail is a platelike, keratinous, translucent structure that consists of highly specialized epithelial cells. The nail grows from a deep groove in the dermis of the skin.

What is the function of nails in humans?

The short answer is we have evolved to have nails because they help us pick things up (like food), pick things off (like bugs), and hold tightly onto things. Early humans who had these type of nails (instead of claws) tended to live long enough to have babies and pass on the fingernails gene to their kids.

What are properties of nail?

The Physical Properties of Nail* The nails and claws of mammals contain α-type fibrous protein filaments. In the human nail the filaments are aligned perpendicular to the growth axis, while nails from other animals show different types of orientation depending on their shape.