Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Fingerprint formation.

Michael Kücken1, Alan C Newell

  • 1Program in Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, USA. michael.kuecken@uni-bayreuth.de

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|April 19, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Fingerprint patterns emerge from a buckling instability in fetal skin. This instability, driven by growth and pressure, explains the unique ridge formations on fingertips.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Apical bulkheads accumulate as adaptive response to impaired bile flow in liver disease.

EMBO reports·2023
Same author

Dynamics of CXCR4 positive circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer patients during radiotherapy.

International journal of cancer·2023
Same author

Mutual Zonated Interactions of Wnt and Hh Signaling Are Orchestrating the Metabolism of the Adult Liver in Mice and Human.

Cell reports·2019
Same author

Three-dimensional spatially resolved geometrical and functional models of human liver tissue reveal new aspects of NAFLD progression.

Nature medicine·2019
Same author

Dynamic Polarization of the Multiciliated Planarian Epidermis between Body Plan Landmarks.

Developmental cell·2019
Same author

Passenger mutations can accelerate tumour suppressor gene inactivation in cancer evolution.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2018

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Biophysics
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Epidermal ridges (fingerprints) have been utilized for identification for millennia.
  • Despite extensive study, a definitive scientific explanation for fingerprint pattern development remains elusive.
  • Existing knowledge lacks a comprehensive theory for the formation of ridges on fingers, palms, and soles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel biophysical mechanism for the formation of epidermal ridges.
  • To explain the origin of fingerprint patterns based on biomechanical principles.
  • To provide a testable hypothesis for the development of volar pad structures.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the von Karman equations to understand buckling phenomena.
  • Development of a computational model simulating epidermal ridge formation.
  • Comparison of simulation results with empirical observations of fingerprint patterns.

Main Results:

  • Fingerprint patterns are theorized to arise from buckling instability in the fetal epidermis's basal cell layer.
  • Buckling direction is determined by stress orientation, influenced by differential growth and volar pad regression.
  • Computer simulations align closely with observed fingerprint patterns and their relationship to fingertip geometry.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed buckling instability model offers a coherent explanation for fingerprint development.
  • This model is consistent with established observations linking fingertip surface geometry to pattern type.
  • The findings provide a new framework for understanding the morphogenesis of epidermal ridges.

Related Experiment Videos