Why do we have fingerprints?
For grown-ups: the science
Fingerprints are raised skin lines that help you grip things, and each person has a different pattern.
Fingerprints are friction ridges formed during fetal development through interactions among skin growth, underlying tissues, and the prenatal environment. They can improve grip by affecting contact mechanics and fluid drainage, though the exact evolutionary reasons for their persistence are still studied. Their patterns are highly individual, including among identical twins.
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Transcript
Look at the tiny lines swirling on your fingertip. Why do we have fingerprints?
Your fingertips have raised skin lines called ridges. They make little spaces that help your fingers hold things.
The ridges also help water move away when your hands are wet. That can help you keep a gentle grip.
Each person's ridges grow in a different pattern before birth. That is why prints can help tell people apart.
So fingerprints help your fingers grip, and their patterns are special to you.