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by Erin Albrecht on April 17th, 2005
In the "Ask the Experts" section of the May 2005 issue of Scientific American (also online at http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0008E9CF-3762-11F1-B76283414B7F0000&catID=3&chanID=sa005), a reader has inquired about the inheritability of fingerprint patterns. The answer given by Glenn Langenburg, a latent print examiner, is:
"Fetuses develop smooth volar pads -- raised pads on the fingers, palms and feet -- because of swelling mesenchymal tissue, which is a precursor of blood vessels and connective tissues. Around week 10, the volar pads stop growing but the hand continues to grow. As a result, over the next few weeks, the volar pad is absorbed back into the hand. During this critical stage, the first signs of ridges begin to appear on the skin of the volar pads. The shape of the volar pads at the time the first ridges appear will dictate the general pattern that develops."
by 8th_grade_girl on November 18th, 2004
When the mother is impregnated by the father the baby starts to form. As it forms, it's DNA is made. The DNA forms the fingerprints and toeprints as the baby forms. Everyone has their own set of fingerprints and toeprints even if they are twins, they still have different fingerprints because one twin got part of the dad's chromosomes and part of the mother's and the other got the other two parts.
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