Recently smashed my finger and lost the nail and it got me wondering what is the biological / mechanical / etc function / reason for fingernails? Sure it would be harder to grip little things, but is there a structural reason why our digits need these things?
EDIT: Follow up question. What is different about the skin underneath your nail that makes it so painful when initially exposed to air?
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I have a friend who had his big toenails removed (really bad ingrowns) in his 20s and basically said he had to re-learn to walk. Without them it screwed up his sense of balance. (Try balancing on one foot barefooted to get an idea of how much you rely on sensory feedback from your feet and toes for balance)
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