Why do we have fingerprints?
Scientists think the tiny lines on our fingers help us feel and hold things.
Pip’s answer
- Scientists think the tiny lines on our fingers help us feel and hold things.
- The swirly lines may help your fingers grip, like little bumps on a shoe.
- Scientists think they help us feel bumpy and smooth things too.
- Wow-ee, nobody else in the world has fingerprints just like yours!
Try it together
Can you look closely at the swirls on your fingertip?
For grown-ups
Fingerprint ridges form before birth and are unique to every person, even identical twins. Scientists think they may help us grip textured surfaces and detect fine vibrations as fingers slide across things, improving our sense of touch.
Ask your child: Can we press our fingers in some paint and compare our prints?
More questions kids ask
- 🛁Why do fingers get wrinkly in the bath?
- 🦴Why do we have bones?
- 🌞Why do some people have freckles?
- ❤️Why does my heart beat?
- 😴Why do we need to sleep?
- 🥱Why do we yawn?
Got your own why?
Hold Pip, ask anything out loud, and watch the answer come to life.
Ask Pip your own question