text: why do our nails grow?   it has to grow to keep from drying out and rotting.   nails provide support and protect the end of the finger.  if the bone grew all the way to support the tip, it would be much too easy to actually puncture the skin with the bone if you gripped something very hard.  without a fingernail the tip of the finger would be rubbery soft and so flexible it would be hard to pick things up or hang onto them.   i know because i lost a fingernail once and it was so rubbery it felt weird and there was no strength in the tip of it.....