How Do My Fingerprints Form?

Fingerprints are unique to each individual, even among identical twins, due to genetic and environmental factors. The main fingerprint patterns—whorls, loops, and arches—are influenced by genetics, while finer details, or minutiae, are affected by environmental conditions during fetal development. Fingerprints form between the sixth and tenth weeks of fetal growth, as volar pads develop and then integrate into the skin. The shape and timing of these pads, influenced by genetics, determine the fingerprint pattern. Environmental factors, such as the fetus's position in the womb, further contribute to the uniqueness of each fingerprint.

What are the three basic classes of fingerprints?

How do genetics influence the formation of fingerprints?

What role do volar pads play in fingerprint development?

In what ways can environmental factors affect fingerprint patterns?

Why are fingerprints considered unique even among identical twins?