When your fingers get wet or you leave your feet in water for a while,
they get all
wrinkled like this, right?
Why is that?
Some might think that it absorbed moisture because it had been wet for a long time. I used to think the same way; I simply thought it was an accidental phenomenon caused by the skin getting wet.
But think about it carefully. Why
does this phenomenon only occur
on the skin of the hands and feet ?
Why doesn't the skin on parts of the body other than the hands and feet get wrinkled like this?
A study has revealed the cause of wrinkles.
Wow,
If the nerves connecting to the limbs are severed, the wrinkled appearance will not occur .
In other words, the wrinkling phenomenon is an autonomous reflex action, and it's not simply due to becoming soggy from getting wet.
So why does the brain bother sending signals to wrinkle the limbs? According to research, it's like a racing tire.
Slick tires (the smooth tires on the left) offer excellent grip in dry conditions, while rain tires (the grooved tires on the right) provide better grip in wet conditions.
Just like tires, our hands and feet wrinkle to ensure water drainage in wet conditions, thereby
providing
better grip.
The human body remains a treasure trove of mysteries for humankind!