In 2007, a Swiss woman had trouble
entering the United States because immigration officials discovered she had no fingerprints. They were baffled because they had not seen a phenomenon like this before. Fingerprints are a feature with which people can be identified. Even twins have different fingerprints, but not
everyone in the world has them. There
are a few people in the world who
were born with a genetic difference, causing them to have no fingerprints at all. This disease is called adermatoglyphia. Such a condition is caused by a genetic mutation. According to researchers there are only four families on earth
whose members do not have
fingerprints. Fingerprints develop with the unborn baby, when the fetus is about 24 weeks old. They do not change during
life. Although scientists do not know what functions fingerprints have, some say
they increase the ability to hold things in your hands. People who
were born without fingerprints often
don’t have the grip to grasp things. Adermatoglyphia is a disease that affects not only your fingers but also
the palms of your hand and the soles of your feet. People with this disease often don’t sweat normally. Because body heat cannot escape they are often in danger of suffering a heatstroke. Such victims often have other skin problems too..