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Nobody likes being bitten, but look at it from the mosquito’s point of view. To them you are an inexhaustible source of nutrients. You’re more than a tasty snack for the female insect who needs your protein to lay her eggs and if you contract dengue, Zika or malaria, that’s your problem. A mosquito has only a few seconds to land and fill its gut or risk being swatted. It’s suggested they are more likely to bite your lower limbs where the risk is less. The female mosquito has is an elegantly evolved proboscis and, if you want to impress people at parties, it’s an example of a biomicroelectromechanical system. They use this to painlessly penetrate human skin and suck blood. Scanning electron microscope images show that the proboscis consists of a small bundle of long tapered feeding stylets, collectively called the fascicle. That runs inside a large scaly outer lower lip called the labium. During feeding, only the fascicle penetrates the skin while the labium buckles back to remain on the surface. High-speed video shows that the smart mosquito does not directly pierce its victim’s skin with the fascicle. Instead, it uses the two maxillas as variable frequency microsaws with nanosharp teeth to cut into skin tissue. This clever biomicroelectromechanical system enables the mosquito to penetrate skin using an exceedingly small force. With its proboscis inserted, the mosquito needs to draw blood before you notice. If the blood were to clot around its mouth, it might get stuck. To avoid that, it injects saliva containing an anticoagulant. Their saliva is a complex concoction of over 100 proteins, many of which have unknown functions. Among them are the histamines that cause itchiness, inflammation and swelling. This is exacerbated by nerves and vessels broken by the proboscis as it penetrates. It’s probably better to not scratch an itchy bite because it can irritate your skin, making it worse. It’s even better, of course, to avoid or minimise bites in the first place. You can reduce mosquito populations by removing or covering water where they breed. Cover your skin with clothing and apply repellent. Definitely don’t waste money on ultrasonic devices because they don’t work. The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to [email protected], Twitter @FuzzyLogicSci, Podcast FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com
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Nobody likes being bitten, but look at it from the mosquito’s point of view. To them you are an inexhaustible source of nutrients. You’re more than a tasty snack for the female insect who needs your protein to lay her eggs and if you contract dengue, Zika or malaria, that’s your problem.
A mosquito has only a few seconds to land and fill its gut or risk being swatted. It’s suggested they are more likely to bite your lower limbs where the risk is less.
The female mosquito has is an elegantly evolved proboscis and, if you want to impress people at parties, it’s an example of a biomicroelectromechanical system.
They use this to painlessly penetrate human skin and suck blood.
Scanning electron microscope images show that the proboscis consists of a small bundle of long tapered feeding stylets, collectively called the fascicle. That runs inside a large scaly outer lower lip called the labium.
During feeding, only the fascicle penetrates the skin while the labium buckles back to remain on the surface.
High-speed video shows that the smart mosquito does not directly pierce its victim’s skin with the fascicle. Instead, it uses the two maxillas as variable frequency microsaws with nanosharp teeth to cut into skin tissue.
This clever biomicroelectromechanical system enables the mosquito to penetrate skin using an exceedingly small force.
With its proboscis inserted, the mosquito needs to draw blood before you notice. If the blood were to clot around its mouth, it might get stuck. To avoid that, it injects saliva containing an anticoagulant.
Their saliva is a complex concoction of over 100 proteins, many of which have unknown functions.
Among them are the histamines that cause itchiness, inflammation and swelling. This is exacerbated by nerves and vessels broken by the proboscis as it penetrates.
It’s probably better to not scratch an itchy bite because it can irritate your skin, making it worse.
It’s even better, of course, to avoid or minimise bites in the first place. You can reduce mosquito populations by removing or covering water where they breed. Cover your skin with clothing and apply repellent.
Definitely don’t waste money on ultrasonic devices because they don’t work.
The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM.
Send your questions to [email protected], Twitter @FuzzyLogicSci, Podcast FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com
