'The Five Finger Discount' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ring finger

You will recognize the link to medicine and some sources say this is become physicians in ancient times used the fourth finger to apply ointments. The little finger is called the digitus minimus, the index finger is the digitus secundus and the middle finger is known as the digitus medius or tertius.

Answer: The skin creases in the joints will flatten out.

Finger joints have wrinkles on the skin only if the hand is capable of movement. If the joints of the fingers become unable to move, these creases will eventually flatten out and disappear.

Answer: It has no hair.

Simply put, the word glabrous means that something is smooth and lacking any kind of hair. The palms of the hand and the soles of the feet do not contain hair follicles of any kind.

Answer: Amputating the thumbs.

It was a common practice to sever the thumbs of soldiers who were to be released. When they returned home they would serve as examples of why you did not wish to engage in combat with the Romans. This practice was also used in other wars and sometimes in the slave trade.

The loss of the thumb was very debilitating and prevented the soldiers who were released from ever being able to engage in combat again.

Answer: Having more than five fingers on one hand

Polydactyly is having more than the usual numbers of fingers and/or toes. Sometimes, there is a genetic component, and it is often desirable to have the extra digit removed. For some people the extra digit causes no problems and often goes unnoticed by the general public unless it is pointed out. Most often, the extra finger is found on the ulnar (little finger) side of the hand.

Answer: It is the proper name for your thumb.

The thumb is the first digit of the hand and is properly called your pollex. The thumb is very similar to the other fingers. Notable differences include the fact that it is opposable to the other four digits. It also only has two phalanges rather than three and is usually slightly shorter and broader than the other fingers. All muscles controlling the thumb are located in the hand or forearm, just like all the other fingers.

Answer: True

As strange as this may sound, the fingers themselves do not have muscles inside them. The muscles responsible for bending the finger joints are located in the palm and the mid-forearm. These muscles are connected to the finger bones by tendons, which, like the strings of a marionette puppet, pull and move the fingers.

Answer: False

This is an old wives' tail. While the hair and nails may appear to grow after death has occurred, what is actually happening is the body is dehydrating. The skin pulls back making the nails and hair look like they have grown a little.

Answer: It is the white crescent at the base of your fingernails.

The lunula is the white, crescent-shaped area found at the base end of your fingernail. The word is derived from the Latin for 'little moon'. Any damage to the lunula will permanently deform the nail. Do not be alarmed if you cannot clearly see your lunula, as some people have lunulae that are very hard to see. Anatomically, the lunula is simply the visible part of the nail root.

Answer: The absence of fingerprints.

This extremely rare genetic disorder manifests itself by a complete lack of palm, finger, and foot prints. Less than 40 people are known to have had this condition and it only came to light when one of these people needed to be fingerprinted by the police to prove identity.

This Swiss woman and her family became very interesting to scientist, and law enforcement officials who needed to find out why she had no fingerprints, and whether there were any other repercussions of having this genetic disorder.

A possible loss of grip was the only negative association found with this lack of fingerprints, but studies are sure to be ongoing.