Finger nails

[Navin]

Why do our nails constantly grow?

Is it a form of excretion?

[mith]

it's more like hair growth

[MrMistery]

Nails are a form of excretion because they contain minerals and creatine(along with a lot of keratine) that the body no longer needs but that is not why they constantly grow. Actually i never understood why exactly they grow, even after death. I think it is a form of evolutionary leftover-the mamals which walked on 4 legs needed them to grow because they were constantly distroyed.

[mith]

Like skin?

[MrMistery]

Yes, like skin. But i still do not understand why and how they continue to grow even a number of years after you are dead

[mith]

They don't, you lose water and shrink. The skin, nails and hair just protrude more.

[b_d_41501]

Yeah, I thought for a long time that they grew after death. However, due to water loss and the skin shrinking, the nails simply appear long.

[MrMistery]

thanks for the info guys... Can you believe that i actually have a textbook that says they do grow? God, this world is twisted

[b_d_41501]

I actually have a couple of textbooks that say this as well, it definitely is a twisted world.

[Navin]

I made an observation that fingernails tend to grow after a soak in water. (Like after swimming).

Is it due to shrinking this time? I think not.

[mith]

One of the major aspects of science is using repeatable results as a proof. Do we have any volunteers to test this theory?

[mr bollocks]

i'll be your guinea pig!