Book 10, Question 17
Why Do Fingers Get Wrinkly in Long Baths?
Fingers get wrinkly in long baths because your nervous system tightens tiny blood vessels in your fingertips! That makes the skin pucker up into ridges. Scientists think the wrinkles may help you grip wet things.
More fun facts
- Many people think fingers wrinkle because skin swells with water, but that is not the main reason.
- Wrinkling happens because blood vessels under the skin tighten.
- Only the skin on fingers, palms, toes and soles wrinkles like this.
- Because nerves control it, wrinkly fingers are a sign of a working nervous system.
- In tests, wrinkly fingers gripped wet objects like marbles better, channeling water away like tire treads.
- Studies found fingers wrinkle in the same pattern every time they are soaked.
Sources: Science News Explores, Scientific American, BBC
Questions kids ask
Do wrinkly fingers mean something is wrong?
No. It is a normal reaction controlled by your nerves.