Final answer:
The nail bed is responsible for nourishing the nail and attaching the nail body to the underlying tissues, part of the nail's anatomy within the integumentary system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nail bed nourishes the nail and attaches the nail body to the surface of the tissues below. The nail bed is a specialized structure of the epidermis located at the tips of the fingers and toes upon which the nail body forms. Rich in blood vessels, it gives the nail its pinkish appearance, except at the base where the lunula is found. The nail root, embedded deep in the epidermis, and surrounded by the nail matrix, is the source of nail growth. The nail body, the visible part of the nail, is composed of densely packed dead keratinocytes and forms a back-support for picking up small objects. The lateral nail fold overlaps the nail on the sides, while the nail fold that meets the proximal end of the nail body forms the nail cuticle, also known as the eponychium.