Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Aware on 18/01/2007 02:59:20

Title: What causes "fingerprints", and why do we all have different ones?
Post by: Aware on 18/01/2007 02:59:20
How is it that we all have different fingerprints?  I imagine that it is related to genetics.  Is it also related to environment?  What about identical twins?  Do they have different fingerprints?
Title: Re: What causes "fingerprints", and why do we all have different ones?
Post by: Karen W. on 18/01/2007 04:50:14
 That's a good question.. I would not have thought about that! Injuries and scars change them also so environment is definitely something I would say would have an impact on your prints later in life..  not necessarily at birth!
Title: Re: What causes "fingerprints", and why do we all have different ones?
Post by: science_guy on 18/01/2007 16:46:54
it is theorized that the finger prints come from the fetus rubbing his/her mother's womb.

now heres my question:  How do all of the fingerprints get the same design on the fingerprints if that theory is true.
Title: Re: What causes "fingerprints", and why do we all have different ones?
Post by: Karen W. on 18/01/2007 18:19:17
Humm, I never heard that one before... interesting.
Title: Re: What causes "fingerprints", and why do we all have different ones?
Post by: iko on 04/02/2007 21:25:21

Hey, I found this stuff,
good for a 'non-expert'
reader(like me).
Enjoy!

ikod

click here:   http://www.johnnyfincham.com/history/dermatoglyphics.htm

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnnyfincham.com%2Fhistory%2Fdowns.dg.features.jpg&hash=b684f367846e0b9d9c39eccb7d5edde3)    (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnnyfincham.com%2Fhistory%2Fdowns.syndrome.jpg&hash=9f4943b9ccf445822704249241a8eaaa)
http://www.johnnyfincham.com/history/downs.dg.features.jpg
http://www.johnnyfincham.com/history/downs.syndrome.jpg

Title: Re: What causes "fingerprints", and why do we all have different ones?
Post by: DrN on 05/02/2007 21:24:38
Thats a pretty interesting web site!

basically, identical twins do not have identical finger prints. finger prints are a phenotype, which is the result of a genotype (the DNA) and interactions with the environment.

I expect identical twins may have more similar finger prints than non-identical twins, on the ground that the DNA is identical, so they start from a common point. I guess it depends on quite how much influence the environmental factors have.