We have been wondering since childhood why the skin wrinkles from water. At times we liked to look at our fingers after the bath. Parents answered simply - the fingers absorbed the water, 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 do not wrinkle? It would be logical that they should also absorb water. But that doesn't happen. In this article, we will try to understand the reasons for this behavior of our skin.
Why does skin wrinkle from water?
So, what are the reasons for these changes in our fingers after a long stay in the water? The reason for everything is evolution. It turns out that this device was very useful to ancient man. In some cases, only it allowed him to survive, or at least slightly improve the quality of life.
This theory was suggested by Tom Smulders. This is an evolutionary biologist. So this topic is not alien to him. He says that no water absorption by the skin occurs. Rather,it happens. But wrinkled fingers are not the cause. Just when we keep our fingers in a humid environment for a long time, the vessels at their ends narrow. This leads to such an effect.
How did it help you survive?
The role of this feature has proved invaluable. Man in ancient times had to deal with wet objects a lot. And thanks to such wrinkled skin, a more powerful grip can be provided. For example, a man caught a fish. She is very slippery. But thanks to this adaptation, it can be held in the hand. In general, it helps in many cases:
- When you have to dig through the wet grass. There you can find a lot of tasty fruits or, for example, pick edible mushrooms.
- Hunting. When a person hunts, he needs to hold a tool. And this device helps to make a successful throw during the rain. And it is much easier to hit the prey.
This is such a benefit. So this property helps us now as well. The example is very simple. When we are in the bathroom, we need to take soap. It's also slippery. And rough skin helps to solve this problem. It does not slip out of the hands, and we can wash normally. So it is impossible to call this feature of the ends of our fingers rudimentary.
Why aren't my fingers wrinkled all the time?
Why does the skin wrinkle from water, and not stay in this state forever? This adaptation is extremely important. Here the opinions of scientists differ. But the most likely is only one of them. The point is that atwrinkling of the fingers feeds neurons much worse, and the receptors located at the ends are hidden behind the folds of the skin. Consequently, tactile sensitivity drops significantly, which normally helps us in a huge number of life situations. Here are just a few:
- Feeling temperature.
- Understanding the texture of objects.
- Understanding their pungency.
So if this adaptation were permanent, 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 extremely 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, as there are questions more important than why the skin wrinkles from the water. Sometimes scientists make interesting discoveries along the way. Goals are not set, but in the process 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 in science now, it can change. Previously, people believed that water was simply absorbed by the fingers.
Using the benefits of wrinkled fingers in science and industry
The revealed feature has already helped in science and in the production of ordinary things. However, it is unlikely that it was the information about why the hands wrinkle from the water that promptedto these developments, but they have the same principle. What underlies the lack of slip? That's right, the force of friction. It was discovered by physicists a very long time ago. And its use is found in a huge number of manufactured goods:
- Tires. Their task is precisely to ensure the tight contact of the machine with a wet surface. If you look at their surface, it is very similar to the wrinkledness of our fingers. Isn't it?
- The sole of the shoe. Naturally, not every shoe looks like water-wrinkled toes. 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 grip of the sole with its surface. Therefore, the skin on the toes wrinkles. There the task is also very simple - do not slip. Naturally, this task with bare feet is not performed so well. But this is already something.
We have analyzed the simplest examples that lie on the surface when analyzing the principle of operation of the considered phenomenon. In fact, there are countless other uses for it.
Conclusions
We have figured out why the skin of the hands and feet wrinkles when in contact with water. It turns out that the myth we all believed in just crumbles on closer inspection. But this version of why the skin wrinkles from water is much more logical. Let's see what the scientists tell us. In the meantime, let's do 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 notexperience this effect for yourself.
