Do you know what all the fingers on your body are called?
Anatomy is the field of study of the human body where all the parts, sections and subsections of the organism are classified and cataloged to have a clear knowledge of it.
It is necessary to use a universal nomenclature for different parts of the body, to avoid misunderstandings in the clinical and therapeutic environment.
We rarely stop to think about the names of the parts of the body, since it is not usual to have the need to refer to them with the precision that health personnel need to maintain in their day to day. But maybe you’ve stopped to wonder what your fingers or toes are called.
In this articlewe will review the nomenclature of the digits, so that you do not have doubts about what these important parts of the human body are called.
- You might be interested: “The 15 types of feelings (and their psychological characteristics)”
Names of fingers
The names of the fingers and fingers are a subject that should be covered during the first years of basic education. Even so, it is common that in our day to day we have lapses, confusions or forgetfulness about the exact or correct terms for our fingers.
1. Thumb
If you extend your hand with your palm up, your thumb will be the most outward finger of all the others. It is a complex structure and opposable to the rest of the fingers, which in Latin is known aspollex, or also asdigitus primus manus, first finger of the hand. Its anatomical code is “A01.1.00.053”.
The thumb is one of the characteristics of the human being that allow him to skillfully use delicate or complicated tools to operate. Some animal species, such as pandas or certain marsupials, also have structures similar to the human thumb, which allow them to manage their environment more easily.
2. Index
If the thumb is the first finger of the hand, the index finger corresponds to the second. The index fingerhas a great importance when gesticulating, since it is usually the appendix with which we point things or people to our interlocutor. In Latin it is known asdigitus secundus manus, and its anatomical code is “A01.1.00.054”.
The index is the most dexterous finger of the hand, over which we have the most control. At the same time, it is the most sensitive finger of our hands, being one of the first that we use to touch things in our environment. Despite this, it is not the longest finger we have on our hands.
3. Medium
The middle finger, also commonly known as the middle finger, the middle finger or the middle finger . It is the longest finger of the human hand, usually used to snap the fingers when we use it in conjunction with the thumb. In Western countries, extending this finger towards our interlocutor has a rude meaning.
In Latin, it is known as the digitus medius manus or digitus tertius manus , referring both to its central position and to the fact that it is third in the order established by medical anatomical consensus. His anatomical code is “A01.1.00.055”.
- It might interest you: “The 15 main organs of the human body and their functions”
4. Cancel
The ring finger, known in Latin as digitus anularis manus or digitus quartus manus , gains its name from the widely held Roman tradition of placing the consort ring on this finger. The explanation of this practice is based on the fact that in the ring finger there is an important vein, which the Romans thought connected directly with the heart , which they called “vena amoris”.
This finger has had a special meaning in various cultures besides the Western one, which is reflected in the fact that some of them know it as “magic finger” or “nameless finger”, as in Chinese culture. His anatomical code is “A01.1.00.056”.
5. Little finger
The little finger is the smallest finger of the human hand, butit has an important role in grasping functions. So much so, that the “yakuza”, the Japanese mafia with roots in samurai culture, asked for the severed pinky of the subordinates who had failed, as a sign of repentance. It is believed that they asked for the pinky because this meant losing the correct handling of the sword, which depends on this digit.
In Latin, the little finger is known as digitusminimusmanus ordigitus quintus manus, corresponding to its position and small size. It is a finger that is traditionally tied to promises in multiple cultures.
Toe names
The names of the toes are a somewhat more complex matter. By moving in shoes habitually during our day to day and not using them for communication or to function with our environment (unless we are very skilled and flexible), the average persondoes not have the need to know the exact names of the toes.
The toes are known in Latin asdigiti pedi, without having a concrete name that separates them from each other beyond a numeral. It follows the nomenclature that the big toe, which would occupy the position of the thumb in the hand, is the toe considered as the first, the others being the second, third, etc. according to its position relative to this.
As a curiosity, our toes have much more movement capacity than we might think. This is mainly due to the use of footwear, which limits and restricts their use. If we got used to going barefoot, we would find much more mobility in the toes.
Although we do not use all its functions, the toes are responsible for modifying the shape of the foot (for example, the arch of this), in addition to adding stability to our walk, as does the flexor muscle of the big toe, which is inside our calf.
References
- Magyar, Laszlo A. “Digitus Medicinalis — the Etymology of the Name” Proceedings of the Congress. Intern. d’Hist. of Med. XXXII., Antwerp. 175-179.,
- Mann RA, Hagy JL. The function of the toes in walking, jogging and running. Clinical orthopaedics and related research. 1979 Jul-Aug;(142):24-9. PMID 498642.
- “Fingers of the Hand” in International Anatomical Terminology. (2001). Editorial Médica Panamericana. ISBN 84-7903-614-1.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.