WHY THE FINGERPRINT OF YOUR FINGERS ARE DIFFERENT TO EACH OTHER?

A print or mark left on a surface by a person's fingertip that can be used to identify people based on the unique pattern of spirals and lines on the fingertips.

The reason our fingerprints are unique lies in a combination of genetics and environment. Here’s why:

Genetics: Each person’s genetic makeup plays a role in determining their unique fingerprint patterns. However, despite decades of research, scientists still don’t fully understand how fingerprints are formed. Generally, every fingerprint is different, but there are similarities between the three middle fingers (pointer, middle, and ring fingers). Scientists call these similar patterns “pattern-blocks.” These patterns likely result from a combination of genetic factors inherited from our parents.

Development in the Womb: Our fingerprints start forming while we are developing in our mother’s womb, around 10 weeks into pregnancy. By around 14 weeks, they finish forming. The ridges on our fingertips, called dermatoglyphs, tell a unique story about us, our parents’ genetics, and the environment of our mother’s womb. These prints have remained the same throughout our lives. While we’re not entirely sure how the ridges form, scientists have some theories:

Template Theory: Ridges follow a template set by blood vessels or nerves.

Chemical Reactions: Complex chemical reactions cause the patterns to form.

Development of Fingers: As our fingers grow, we form swollen bumps called volar pads on the tips of our fingers. As those swellings pass down, our outer layer of pores and skin wrinkles because it contracts. These wrinkles become our eventual fingerprints. It’s similar to how grapes turn into raisins—the skin wrinkles as it dries out, but unlike raisins, our fingerprints stay with us forever.

In summary, the unique combination of genetics, development, and environmental factors results in our distinct and unchanging fingerprints. So, the different patterns you observe (loops on the one hand, whorls on the other) are likely a happy coincidence! Scientists haven’t observed anything that specifically causes one hand to have a certain pattern type while the other hand has a different one. Fascinating, isn’t it? 

MR

courtesy: wikipedia