Whether we're doing fingerprints or we're battling in a “thumb war,” we often take one of, if not the most valuable digit for granted. The thumb allows us to grasp objects, hitch a ride, and text message. But how powerful and versatile is our thumb?

In the BBC Series "Dissected," hand surgeon Donald Sammut demonstrates to presenter Dr. George McGavin what gives the thumb its unique abilities by dissecting the human hand. "The general arrangement of the human hand has two hills and a valley in the middle, and these two hills consist of muscle, and they serve the little finger and the thumb," Sammut says in the video.

Sammut strips away the tissues that protect the vital structures of the palm to look at the thumb. It's surrounded by fat, which covers all of the important structures that pass through, such as major arteries, nerves, and flexor tendons — tissues that help control movement in your hand. The thumb has no fewer than nine muscles that are solely dedicated to controlling it, contributing to the precision of this intricate muscle system.