parasites

Wanted: One Parasite

/ Shane / 1 Comment

My allergies are already starting up for the season, but it turns out there is an easy solution. All I need is a parasite. How hard can it be to find a parasite?

Jasper Lawrence so desperately wanted to be infected with a hookworm that he traveled to Africa and walked barefoot alongside open latrines in Cameroon to get one.

So you might think to yourself, how in the world could having a parasite help me with my allergies? There’s actual science:

…humans historically developed an immune designed to account for parasites in the body.

But in the last 150 years, the industrialized world’s clean food supply and plumbing suddenly removed parasites from people’s bodies. In response, researchers now widely think that people’s immune systems stopped developing properly.

…As a result some people’s immune systems go off kilter and misfire against their own bodies creating autoimmune disorders such as allergies, asthma, or inflammatory bowel disease.

Well, thanks but no thanks. Parasites are about the most disgusting, scariest thing I can think of. Waaay worse than allergies (at least my level of allergies).

Link via Sara

Nature is horrifying

/ Shane / 3 Comments

I’m a sucker for any article with the headline “Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus“.

So check this out, there is a fungus in this world whose life-cycle includes mind controlling zombie ants. Basically, the fungus somehow gets into the ants’ brain and takes control. It forces them to march to an area that is conducive to the fungus, in particular, the underside of certain leaves. Then it makes the ant bite down on the underside of the leaf, locking its jaws so that it will not fall when it dies. The fungus not only kills the ant, but it actually fills in weak spots in the ant’s carapace to make the “vessel” stronger. Eventually, the fungus feeds enough on the ant and grows enough, that it bursts out of the ant body and falls to the jungle floor below, hopefully snaring more ants to turn to zombies and start the process over again.

I don’t know if this is more or less horrifying than the Emerald Cockroach Wasp.

But that’s not all we have in horrifying nature updates, oh no. How about this doozy? This little parasite eats the tongue of a fish and then sets itself up to replace the fish’s tongue. That’s right, the fish actually lives on with a replacement parasite tongue.

Got your tongue!

I like how in the picture he just looks so happy, like he’s rubbing his little hands in glee.

More information here, including this wonderful quote:

“Eventually the fish’s tongue is reduced to a stub,” Brock said. “However, the parasite by now is large enough to replace the tongue and as it manipulates the fish’s food, it also dines out for free on food particles when the fish eats.”

More and more creepy things just waiting to turn this world into a horror movie. And, like I said with the rat eating plant, how am I just finding out about these things now?