Melanonychia

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/melanonychia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the cellular basis?Increased activity or proliferation of melanocytes in the nail matrix
2. What is the common etiologies?Physiological variation (darker skin tones), trauma, systemic diseases, medications, and inflammatory conditions
3. What are the dark lines on my nails called?The dark lines on your nails are called melanonychia. They look like brown or black streaks that run along the nail.
4. Why do some people have dark lines on their nails?They happen when special cells called melanocytes make extra pigment. The pigment gets stuck in the nail as it grows.

Nail Matrix: The specialized tissue at the base of the nail responsible for nail growth and keratinization.
Hutchinson Sign: Pigment extending onto the proximal nail fold or cuticle, a concerning sign for subungual melanoma.