cornification

[ kawr-nuh-fi-key-shuh n ]
/ ˌkɔr nə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun Biology.

the formation of a horny layer of skin, or horny skin structures, as hair, nails, or scales, from squamous epithelial cells.

Origin of cornification

First recorded in 1835–45; corn2 + -i- + -fication

Example sentences from the Web for cornification

  • Nails arise in the interior of the epidermis by the thickening and cornification of the stratum lucidum.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton |Sidney H. Reynolds

Medical definitions for cornification

cornification
[ kôr′nə-fĭ-kāshən ]

n.

keratinization