Why do we have toe and fingernails?

Question

Why do we have toe and fingernails?

Answer 1

i dont know really... is it to stop the ends of our fingers fraying?

why do men have nipples. i can see why women have them seeing as we are mammals but why do men have them?

Answer 2

to protect the fingers/toes

Also to help us pick stuff up

Answer 3

Obvious how could we scratch that itch without them. But they are there to protect the ends of our fingers and toes, in the past they were probably so strong that they were like outside bones so that we could climb trees rock faces etc, and kill our prey.

Answer 4

Because we evolved from animals that used them.

Answer 5

They are what are left of our claws!

Answer 6

According to the online encyclopedia, the human and primate nail corresponds to the claw, hoof, or talon of other animals. Human nails protect the tips of the toes and fingers, while fingernails help us pick up small objects and scratch ourselves.

On the other hand, the feet of primates are capable of gripping objects, just like their hands, so their toenails have much the same function as fingernails. However, human toenails seem to be an evolutionary leftover.

I searched the Web on "toenails fingernails" and "toenail purpose." Both of these searches turned up sites devoted to diseases of the nails, which provided more opinions. On one such site, podiatrist Michael Zapf agrees that nails are essential for manipulation and scratching (and he points out the importance of scratching in a primate or human's life).

But the doctor debunks the notion that nails exist to protect the tips of toes and fingers. He argues that your digits wouldn't be especially sensitive without nails. Dermatologist Mitch Bender appears to agree: "People can get along without nails -- toenails more than fingernails -- but they do make daily life a bit easier."

So, though there's some disagreement about whether or not toenails and fingernails serve to protect our digits, our resources all agree that our nails help us pick up little stuff like pencils, peanuts, and even bottles of nail polish

A number of theories about the reasons for having toe and fingernails abound. Most relate to human evolution, suggesting that they are related to the claws which other members of the animal kingdom have. Fingernails especially are highly useful to perform daily tasks, and toenails sometimes come in handy as well, depending on the situation. While toe and fingernails may be vestigial remains of our wild past, most people who have lost nails agree that they are much more valuable than they look.

One theory about fingernails and toenails suggests that they are designed to protect the delicate nail bed. This supposition has been dismissed by many doctors, who point out that people who permanently lose nails develop tougher nail beds. It seems more likely that the delicate tissue or quick under the nail evolved in response to the presence of fingernails, rather than the other way around.

The more likely reason for the presence of fingernails and toenails is that they are useful. Fingernails help humans to scratch things, peel fruit, open things, pick away the outer layers of other edibles, undo knots, and perform a variety of other tasks. In a more distant past, fingernails probably assisted humans with the capture of body lice, as is still seen among the great apes. When the feet were used more like hands, toenails served a similar function, helping humans to open vital food objects, strip bark to build structures, and other such things.

Fingernails help the hands to grip things and start rips and tears. If you remain unconvinced of the usefulness of fingernails, try trimming them to the quick or covering them in tape for a day. Having fingernails out of commission makes it much more difficult to scratch itches, clean the hair and scalp, open foods, and perform a wide variety of delicate manipulations with the hands. Toenails may not be quite as useful, but when you imagine the feet as hands, their presence makes much more sense.

Like the hair, fingernails are made out of keratin, a type of protein. If the nails are weak and brittle, higher amounts of keratin should be ingested: a common source is gelatin, a food product derived from the hooves of animals, which also contain keratin. An increase in the level of keratin consumed will lead to healthier skin and nails which will serve the user better for daily tasks. Nails should also be well cared for: the cuticles should be kept trim and the area underneath the nail before the quick should be scrubbed to eliminate accumulated dirt and bacteria which gather there during the day.

Answer 7

Because claws are not particularly fashionable hehe

Answer 8

To protect the finger tips from being hurt by day to day work.  

Answer 9

evolution .we were all animals once.(that will get the religious going again)

have you noticed that nails get thicker in the winter ! work it out !