One of the major functions of the hand is to grip and manipulate objects. Gripping objects generally involves flexing the fingers against the thumb. Depending on the type of grip, muscles in the hand act to: modify the actions of long tendons that emerge from the forearm and insert into the digits of the hand, and produce combinations of joint movements within each digit that cannot be generated by the long flexor and extensor tendons alone coming from the forearm.
The hand as a sensory tool