Why do your fingers and toes wrinkle when submerged in water for an extended period of time?

Question

I know it has something to do with the oils in the skin, but more detail would be awesome!

Answer 1

Now for the correct answer. It is due to the process of osmosis. The water outside your body has a higher concentration of dissolved solutes then the inside of your body. This means there is a higher concentration of water in your body than outside your body. Osmosis will cause water to move through a semi-permeable membrane from inside your body to the water outside. Thus there is a net water loss and your skins wrinkles.

Answer 2

Some of the outter skin cells absorb more water than others, thus they become larger. This accounts for the wrinkles.

Answer 3

I always heard it has something to do with water absorbed into your skin. And you can only absorb so much else you would drown. ; )

Answer 4

That's why when you hear people speak about good sex underwater it's not true.

Answer 5

interesting..i always wondered about this :P