Ball (anatomy)

As bales ( Torus ) refers to hairless, raised areas of skin on the limbs tips that are underlain by a pad of thickened subcutaneous tissue or muscles. A distinction is made according to the situation several bales:

• The finger or toe pads (tori digital ) lie at the base of the finger or toe joints.
• The hand or sole bales ( torus metacarpeus or metatarseus ) is in the range of the metacarpal or metatarsal. In humans, it is divided by the hand, thenar and hypothenar in. In horses it is called " spur " ( calcar calcar metacarpeum or metatarsal ).
• The carpal or Fußwurzelballen ( torus carpeus or tarseus ) is above the wrist or ankle. He is not trained in humans, in horses it is rudimentary and is called " Chestnut ".

The epidermis of the bales is heavily keratinized, with only plate horn cells layered over each other or are formed at the toe pads of hoof ( torus ungulae ) and claw, tubular structures. In the subcutaneous tissue and the dermis of the bales sweat glands are found in many mammals.

The hyperkeratosis of the bales is a rare hereditary disease in some breeds.