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The mystery hidden in the mouth of ticks: How do they use anticoagulants to keep them from being discovered?
Many people may encounter ticks while they are in the wild, but few people understand the biological properties of these small creatures and the unique skills they use during preying.Ticks, this parasitic spiderpod, survive by sucking mammals and birds' blood, and in the process, use anticoagulants to hide themselves, further improving their chances of survival.
The presence of these anticoagulants allows ticks to suck blood quietly in the host body.
The life cycle of ticks is divided into four stages: eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults.During these stages, ticks rely on the host's blood as the primary source of nutrition.During the process of sucking blood, the tick will use its mouthpart to cut into the host's skin and secrete anticoagulants to prevent the host's blood from coagulation quickly, so that the blood can be absorbed continuously.
The tick has a special structure on its body, called a "mouth organ" or "spit sucker", which is a tick hunting tool specially used to cut and penetrate the host's skin.When ticks find the right host, they will wait quietly in the grass, reaching out to their front legs and catching passing animals.Once the host is captured, the tick begins a blood-sucking process that lasts for several days until its needs are met.
Interestingly, these anticoagulants from ticks help avoid host immune system detection, improving tick concealment.
According to research, ticks contain thousands of proteins, some of which have anti-inflammatory properties, called "avoid proteins."These proteins allow ticks to suck blood in hiding near their hosts, even for up to ten days without being noticed.Scientists are studying these proteins in an attempt to develop new drugs for treating heart disease and stroke.
These extraordinary abilities of ticks make them carriers of numerous pathogenic pathogens, such as Lyme disease and other zoonotic diseases.The global distribution of many tick populations is also continuing to expand, which is closely related to the temperature rise caused by climate change.Ticks are gradually expanding to areas with suitable climates, which puts public health at a greater threat.
As people's outdoor activities increase, tick nuisance and potential health risks will become the focus of everyone's attention.
Apart from its important ecological role, ticks also play a key role in maintaining ecological balance.Their presence prevents the animal populations in the ecosystem from overproliferating.At the same time, the life course and parasitic methods of ticks also promote thinking about biodiversity.
In this ever-changing environment, why can tick survival strategies keep them alive on the earth?
