【科学60秒】“纤纤玉手”更敏感
Smaller Fingers Mean More Sensitive Fingertips
Smaller can sometimes be better, at least when it comes to fingers. It turns out that people with smaller fingers have more sensitive fingertips, according to a study in the Journal of __1__.
Researchers at Canada’s McMaster University enlisted 100 volunteers, and measured each study subject’s index fingertip. The researchers pressed __2__grooves against the subjects’ fingertips. If they could feel those grooves, then the next set got narrower and narrower. Scientists compare it to an eye test, where you attempt to recognize __3__smaller letters until they’re no longer distinguishable.
Well, people with the smallest fingertips felt the narrowest grooves. The scientists __4__that this might be because they have a higher density of receptors crowded together and sending signals to the brain. It would be like a larger pixel count that makes up a clearer digital image.
To test the idea, the researchers measured the density of sweat pores. Because they knew that touch receptor cells cluster around sweat pores. And people with smaller and more sensitive fingers did have a higher concentration of sweat pores. Which means more receptors. And for their discovery, the researchers__5__.
—Cynthia Graber
