What are the chemical compounds of finger and toe nails? I believe they either have calcuim or keratin?

Question

I am doing a science project for anaylitical chemistry. The project is obtaining finger and toe nails from diffrent age brakets. Infant to 80 years of age. I am not sure if i can extract either calcium or keratin. It would really help to know what nails are mainly consisted of. Thank you
Frank

Answer 1

Nails are primarily keratin, a protein. In fact the same protein found in hair and earwax amongst other things.



You can extract calcium from hair, just as you can extract copper, arsenic and other metals. But they only exist in trace amounts and you'd need a mass spec. or GC to detect them.



Of course if you have access to a GC or mass spec then analysis of hair for metals would be pretty cool. Because of the way that hair grows you can even work out when people were 'poisoned' by analysing the hair in different lengths.

Answer 2

Nails, in humans, flattened, horny, protective coverings on the upper surface of the outer segments of the fingers and toes. The nails are made of dead cells containing the fibrous protein keratin. Each nail consists of a root, the part concealed within a fold of the skin; a body, the exposed part attached to the surface of the skin; and a free anterior extremity, the edge. The skin below the root and body of the nail is termed the matrix. The matrix is thick and covered with highly vascular papillae, and its colour is seen through the transparent horny tissue. Near the root the papillae are smaller and less vascular; thus, the portion of nail corresponding to this part is whiter. From its crescent form this portion is termed the lunula. The nail advances forward by the successive growth of new cells at the root and under the body of the nail. Homologous structures in animals include the hooves of horses and the claws of birds