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Finger wrinkling in water is an active nerve reflex, not passive swelling

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

Evolutionary biologists have debunked the long-held theory that finger wrinkling in water is due to passive skin swelling. Instead, research indicates it's an active, neurally mediated reflex controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. This reflex causes blood vessels to constrict, leading to inward skin collapse and wrinkle formation, and it is specifically observed on glabrous skin like fingertips and soles. AI

RANK_REASON The cluster discusses a scientific finding about a biological phenomenon. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.1]

Read on Forbes — Innovation →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Finger wrinkling in water is an active nerve reflex, not passive swelling

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The cluster discusses a scientific finding about a biological phenomenon. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.1]
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COVERAGE [1]

  1. Forbes — Innovation TIER_1 English(EN) · Scott Travers, Contributor ·

    Why Do Our Fingers Get Wrinkly In Water? An Evolutionary Biologist Explains

    Science dismissed the wrinkly finger as osmosis for a century. The real answer runs through your autonomic nervous system, and much further back.

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