The human hand consists of five fingers, the anatomy calls them first, second, third, fourth and fifth fingers, considering that the person has the palm of the hand facing forward, the first finger being the one that is located farthest from the body and the fifth finger is the one closest to it.
This nomenclature is used only for academic purposes in the study of medicine, since these fingers have received proper names with which they are popularly known, these are thumb, index, middle or heart, ring and little finger, in the same order.
Thumb
It is the first finger of the hand, it is located on its external side when the hands are placed with the palms facing forward.
An important evolutionary difference of our spice is the ability to carry out the movement called thumb opposition, consisting of the ability to place the thumb in front of the palm of the hand, which allows to carry out the pincer movement that it provides. its character as a tool at hand, also facilitating the grip as well as the execution of fine movements.
Unlike the other fingers, this one is made up of only two bones called phalanges. The name of this finger derives from the Latin pollicaris, which in turn derives from polleo which means power and strength, since this is the strongest finger of the hand, also allowing it to carry out most of its movements.
Index finger
It corresponds to the second finger, located next to the thumb. The word index derives from the Latin index, which means indicator. This finger gets its name from one of the main functions it performs, such as pointing or indicating.
Middle finger
The third finger is known as the middle finger because of its location in the center between the other fingers. It is also known as the cordial or heart finger, since it was considered that, like that important organ, it is located in a central position.
Ring finger
The word ring refers to the ring, which is usually placed on the fourth finger of the hand. This finger symbolizes the union and the couple, so that is where the wedding ring known in some cultures as an alliance is worn.
A curious fact is that when placing the hands facing each other, supporting the fingertips against each other, while keeping the flexed middle finger supported with the other hand at the level of the middle phalanx, it is possible to separate the fingers. thumbs, index fingers and little fingers, whereas the ring fingers cannot be separated.
Pinkie
The little finger is the fifth finger of the hand, the word little finger is a word that derives from the Portuguese menino, which means little. This finger has also been called auricular, due to the habit of using it when trying to manipulate the ear canal.
Photos: Fotolia - Denix / Sebastian Kaulitzki
