The real reason humans have lines on the palms of our hands

 

Many Spanish children have heard at some point in our lives the following explanation of Christian origin as to why we have lines on the palms of our hands. If we look closely, the adults said, the lines from an "M" on our hands and an "S" on our feet ("Oh yeah? Let me see"). The meaning is exact: "Certain Death. "That is, we carry the memory that our days in this earthly world are numbered in a well visible place on our bodies.

 

 

We have these lines so much banaler, although there are reasons why the explanation for "Certain Death" may not be so misguided. It simply folds in the skin is used to that pod to close the hand or grasping objects. Imagine what our hand would look like if our palm were a flat surface, and we approached it, or rather, try to do something similar with a body like onion paper.

As the page 'Science Focus' explains, these lines serve so that "we can close our hands into a fist or make other complex shapes without excessive stretching or accumulations of loose skin ." It also helps us articulate our hands, which need to change position very quickly when typing or scrubbing, to name two everyday activities.

 

 

Do they mean something?

Where does the idea come from that these two letters are a reminder of our death? Probably that l you children are born already with them. That is, it is not about expression wrinkles as some may think - they do not appear as we flex our hands - but instead, they appear on the body of children in the 12th week of pregnancy. Of course, its size, thickness, or prominence depend, like many other features on our genetics.

However, likely, you do not have three lines that make up an M's shape, but only one horizontal, below the fingers. You do not need to worry, as approximately one in thirty has this shape on the palm; men are twice as likely as women to present a single fold.

 

 

It has traditionally been known as "simian fold" due to its similarity to monkeys' hands. However, the term is increasingly in disuse due to its negative connotations, especially if we consider that it indicates problems such as Down syndrome in some cases (not most).

As the 'MedlinePlus' page explains, "having a single palmar crease can be associated with multiple conditions that affect a person's physical and mental growth." Although the list is very long and affects many rare diseases, such as cat's meow syndrome or Klinefelter syndrome, these are the most common conditions associated with this trait:

 

 

Down's Syndrome.

Fetal alcohol syndrome: appears in the fetus when the mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy.

Turner syndrome: A genetic condition in which cells are missing part or all of an X chromosome.

Congenital rub and wave: acquired by the fetus during pregnancy through the mother, it causes a series of symptoms such as permanent damage to the nervous system, heart defects, deafness, opaque corneas, skin rashes, or seizures.