Why do we have fingerprints?
103816
Justinyantis is correct.\nYou can test this for yourself by trying to grip something whilst wearing gloves (not rubber/latex).\nGeckos are able to climb walls and hang onto ceilings using much the same mechanism, though their ridges are finer and more numerous.
238697
no ur born wit wat u have but u could keep burning ur finger tips which would produce a burn fingerprint, as long as u keep burning it ull never get ur own set of fingerprints back.
1098487
1) A fingerprint sensor\n2) A stored sample of an acceptable finger print\n3) Analysis software to staticially match the finger print\n4) A signal of a match sent to the car ignition\n5) Packaging to fit this into the car\n6) Integration into the security components of the car
442943
Dental Records\nFinger Prints\nCranial Facial Molding\nDNA\nAcquaintance Identification
576375
These are computer devices that measure the physical traits that make each individual unique i.e. voice verification, fingerprints, retina scanning, face recognition etc. \n\nbiometric devices have special sensors that measure and then digitize an individual's fingerprint, voice or any other physical trait and then compares it with a previously processed profile of the individual stored on a magnetic disk. If the profile matches then the individual is granted access to the computer network.
597016
Uses of DNA Fingerprints\n^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^\nDNA fingerprints are useful in several areas of society. They are used by professionals in human health and the justice system. \n\n-Diagnosis of inherited disorders \n\nDNA fingerprinting is used to diagnose inherited disorders in both prenatal and newborn babies in hospitals around the world. These disorders may include cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, Huntington's disease, familial Alzheimer's, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and many others. \n\nEarly detection of such disorders enables the medical staff to prepare themselves and the parents for proper treatment of the child. In some programs, genetic counselors use DNA fingerprint information to help prospective parents understand the risk of having an affected child. In other programs, prospective parents use DNA fingerprint information in their decisions concerning affected pregnancies. \n\n-Developing cures for inherited disorders \n\nResearch programs to locate inherited disorders on the chromosomes depend on the information contained in DNA fingerprints. By studying the DNA fingerprints of relatives who have a history of some particular disorder, or by comparing large groups of people with and without the disorder, it is possible to identify DNA patterns associated with the disease in question. This work is a necessary first step in designing an eventual genetic cure for these disorders. \n\n-Biological Evidence \n\nFBI and police labs around the U.S. have begun to use DNA fingerprints to link suspects to biological evidence -- blood or semen stains, hair, or items of clothing -- found at the scene of a crime. Since 1987, more than 150 cases have been decided with the assistance of DNA fingerprint evidence. \n\nAnother important use of DNA fingerprints in the court system is to establish paternity in custody and child support litigation. In these applications, DNA fingerprints bring an unprecedented, nearly perfect accuracy to the determination. \n\n-Personal identification \n\nBecause every organ or tissue of an individual contains the same DNA fingerprint, the U.S. armed services have just begun a program to collect DNA fingerprints from all personnel for use later, in case they are needed to identify casualties or persons missing in action. The DNA method will be far superior to the dogtags, dental records, and blood typing strategies currently in use.
1057858
It all depends on what kind of Background Check: If it's a Criminal background it means your Criminal history with the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and or local Departments. If it's a Credit history, it could mean, jobs, addresses and other type of relevant information.\n\nIt is most likely a Criminal Background Check, so it only means all the arrests where your fingerprints where taken, whether convicted or not.\n\nIf you where never convicted of an arrest then you must obtain Certified Court records that show charges dismissed or never filed...
851013
The ridges increases your surface area of your fingers. It helps you to grip small items without crushing them. Geckos have a lot more ridges than we do, and they can vertically climb up windows!\n\nNotice how your left and right fingerprints are almost mirror images to each other? Cool!
558247
Do they have the same fingerprints? "No," says Professor McCabe. Actually, it takes a while for these clumps of cells to get fingers, let alone fingerprints. So we're talking about on down the road a ways.\n         But still, how can this be? How can two people who have EXACTLY the same genes be different? After all, it's our genes that control everything about who we are and how we grow, right? So what's going on here?\n         Already when the embryos are in the womb, parts of their ENVIRONMENT are affecting what they'll be like, says Professor McCabe. Even though these babies are in Mom's womb at the same time and have exactly the same genes, many things can have different effects on each baby and can cause them to be different. For example, one baby may be getting a bigger part of Mom's blood supply and therefore more food than the other, so one identical twin may weigh more than the other at birth. Other effects include their position in the womb, Mom's mood, Mom's health, and so on.\n         Now, what about fingerprints? Can differences in blood supply give rise to different sets of fingerprints? Well, we don't really know, says Professor McCabe. (Sound familiar?) The difference could be due to many different environmental effects in the womb during the babies' development.\n         Other things about identical twins can be different. Professor McCabe showed me a picture of twin boys. Their hair whorls, the way the hair twists in a spiral pattern on the back of the head, turn in opposite directions! Here they are, absolutely alike (kind of), but their hair twists in opposite ways. What causes it? Who knows? \n        Whatever it is, it also makes other things different in these otherwise identical twins: the structure of their brains, for example, and how they think and learn.
176213
Because it's a number that works. First, our bodies are symmetrical from left to right, so we're going to end up with an even number of digits, lest we be lopsided. We also are grabbers, being primates, and so we need an opposable thumb, and at least one finger for that thumb to oppose. One finger and thumb really aren't that great for grabbing though, and unless that one finger was really strong we'd be falling out of trees left and right. Several fingers add the support and versatility we need. Obviously, while adding more fingers we're going to reach a point where we have too many, where they become cumbersome. Considering the size of our hands in relation to our arms (giant Mickey Mouse hands would be unwieldy and look weird), it seems that four thin fingers and one thumb works out just fine. There are people and other animals who get by with fewer (and sometimes, more) digits. Looking across the animal kingdom, this 5 digit construction is rather common, though not every species has an opposable thumb. Even animals without digits per say, still have 5 similar bones where the digits would be (like bats). That doesn't really answer the core question of why we have them, but it answers why the number we have works so well.
1027807
The biological stamp should be something connected to the genetic make-up and the DNA of an individual. But the most visible and verifiable one is one's fingerprint. This is quite unique to individuals.
942695
It's really the way that the government is going in these days of severe and proliferating identity theft.  Biometrics will be seen to be on the increase in all areas of our life and it really is to protect us not to be a big brother society as some people rant about.  Kids are at risk of abduction and if the state has a more current picture and their prints on file then this is great if they have to issue an AMBER alert.  The move is on really strongly to get kids to get official state ID's renewed every two years from birth on since their looks change so much when they are that young and parents don't typically get them an ID until it is time for them to get their driving permit.  In Louisiana, this is called the "Save Our Kids" movement and they can get their ID's at a reduced cost, even though we don't collect their fingerprints yet.  Think about it.
771694
Each person has their very own specific fingerprints- noones is the same at all.  This helps to identify ALOT of criminals and when they find one at a murder scene say- they can lift the print and run it through their data base and find the moron who killed an innocent person!  Noones is the same at all- people have tried to burn their prints off or cut the tips of their finger tips to make them different but now alot of DNA testing is better when u find a palm print as well as the finger print.  We all kind of write with our hand resting on the paper so it can also be used to find a criminal!
423228
Only identical twins have similar fingerprints.\n\nOtherwise all of us have different fingerprints.
467328
As would be expected fingerprints have been around as long as man has, and thus the first human to look at their hands would have discovered fingerprints. I assume that in this question you are asking who realised that they could be used as a method of identification. This has been known for thousands of years, in fact in early civilisation the distinctive fingerprint of a person could be found on pottery created by that person as way of a hall mark.\nNehemiah Graw (1641-1712) was one of the first people to study the distinct ridges of the fingerprints, and the science of their study developed through such people as Marcello Malpighi and Thomas Bedwick. The first person to realise that fingerprints were so distinctive they could be used fairly accuratly as a means of identification was Sir William Herschel (1833-1917), but it was Dr Juan Vucetich who started up the worlds first fingerprint buereu in argentina, and this became the first country in 1896 to abolish athropometry as a means of identification, in favour of fingerprints.
50313
It allows for better grip.  It has been hypothesized that this is because of evolution from our tree dwelling roots (if you grip something  there will be more surface area covering the branch without your fingers overlapping meaning more grip).
715435
i think that anytime you do anything you should have both your fingerprint and DNA recorded, the bigger the database the larger chance of criminals being caught. even for little things like traffic tickets - at least that way there is a real database. The only people who can be caught are those whose DNA is already on record; or the police have to go and get the DNA. That would bring in the whole: Do they really need to take my DNA for a parking ticket but  the general populace should have nothing to fear - unless they are planning to do something wrong. It would just make us safer and better able to put the right people behind bars.