From childhood we were interested in why the skin wrinkles from water. At times we liked to look at our fingers after the bath. Parents answered simply - fingers absorbed water, and so they became like that. And we believed them. But it turns out that not everything is so simple. After all, for some reason other parts of the skin are not wrinkled? It would be logical that they should absorb water. But this does not happen. In this article we will try to understand the reasons for this behavior of our skin.
Why does the skin wrinkle from water?
So, what are the causes of these changes in our fingers after being in the water for a long time? The reason for everything is evolution. It turns out that this device was very useful to ancient people. In some cases, only it allowed him to survive, or at least just to slightly improve the quality of life.
This theory was proposed by Tom Smulders. This is a person engaged in evolutionary biology. So this topic is not alien to him. He says that no absorption of water by the skin occurs. Rather, it happens. But this is not the cause of wrinkled fingers. Just when we hold our fingers for a long time in a humid environment, the vessels at their ends narrow. This leads to this effect.
How did it help to survive?
The role of this feature has been invaluable. In ancient times, people had to deal with wet objects a lot. And thanks to such wrinkled skin, you can provide a more powerful grip. For example, a man caught a fish. She is very slippery. But thanks to this adaptation, you can hold it in your hand. In general, it helps in many cases:
- When you have to rummage in the wet grass. There you can find a lot of delicious fruits or, for example, pick edible mushrooms.
- Hunting. When a man hunts, he needs to hold a gun. And this device helps to make a successful throw during rain. And getting into the prey is much easier.
That is such a benefit. So this property also helps us now. The example is very simple. When we are in the bathroom, we need to take soap. It’s slippery. And rough skin helps to solve this problem. It does not slip out of our hands, and we can wash ourselves normally. So this feature of the ends of our fingers cannot be called rudimentary.
Why are my fingers not wrinkled all the time?
Why does the skin wrinkle from water, and is not in this state forever? This adaptation is crucial. Here the opinions of scientists differ. But the most likely is only one of them. The fact is that with wrinkling of the fingers, neurons eat much worse, and the receptors located at the ends hide behind the folds of the skin. Consequently, tactile sensitivity decreases significantly, which normally helps us in a huge number of life situations. Here are just a few of them:
- Sensation of temperature.
- Understanding the texture of objects.
- Understanding their acuity.
So if this adaptation would be constant, and not only realized under the influence of water, then blind people could not, for example, read. These are just some of the areas. This adaptation has an exceptionally positive connotation.
Has this issue been fully investigated?
In the meantime, we are waiting for new comments from scientists. But in the near future they will not follow, since there are more important issues than why the skin wrinkles from water. At times, scientists make interesting discoveries along the way. Goals are not set, but we learn something new. Most likely, scientists also found the answer to this question by accident.
So there is still room for improvement. It is important to understand that even though this opinion dominates science, it can change. Previously, people believed that it was just the water absorbed by the fingers.
Taking advantage of wrinkled fingers in science and industry
The identified feature has already helped in science and in the production of ordinary things. However, it is hardly the information about why the hands frown from the water that pushed to these developments, but they have the same principle. What is the basis for the lack of slip? That's right, the friction force. It was discovered by physicists a long time ago. And its application is found in a huge number of manufactured goods:
- Tires Their task is precisely to ensure tight contact of the machine with a wet surface. If you look at their surface, it is very reminiscent of the wrinkling of our fingers. Is not it so?
- Sole of shoes. Naturally, not every shoe is made similar to fingers wrinkled from water. But if we are talking about the winter version, then the principle is the same. This also applies to slippers for the pool. There the floor is wet, so you need to ensure maximum traction of the sole with its surface. Therefore, the skin on the toes wrinkles. There, the task is also very simple - not to slip. Naturally, this task with bare feet is not so good. But this is already something.
We have analyzed the simplest examples that lie on the surface when analyzing the principle of action of the considered phenomenon. In fact, there are a huge number of other areas of its application.
conclusions
We figured out why the skin of the hands and feet wrinkles in contact with water. It turns out that the myth we all believed in just crumbles upon closer examination. But this version of why the skin wrinkles from water is much more logical. Let's see what scientists will tell us. In the meantime, let's do some useful things. Curiosity is curiosity, but you still need to know the truth. Otherwise, you will never have a subscription to the pool, and you will not experience this effect on yourself.