Expert: Walter Hintz - 8/9/2008

Question
When our body is immersed in water for a while, wrinkles are formed on our fingertips.. Why these wrinkles are formed only on fnger tips but not on the entire body?

Answer
The outer layer of the skin has dead cells of keratin that absorb water and swell increasing the surface area. Since the keratin is attached to the live cells underneath the skin wrinkles to make up for the increased surface area.
It happens on the hands and feet because ther eis a thicker of dead keratin cells there