Final answer:
The tissue beneath the distal end (free edge) of the nail and the finger or toe is called the hyponychium. It consists of a thickened layer of stratum corneum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tissue beneath the distal end (free edge) of the nail and the finger or toe is called the hyponychium.
The hyponychium is the area beneath the free edge of the nail, furthest from the cuticle.
It consists of a thickened layer of stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer of the skin.