Friday, May 15, 2015
Parasitism Homework
Visit the following links and read up on and view some weird parasitic relationships. Choose from:
- Hair Worms
- Jewel Wasp
- Cordyceps Unilateralis.
- Glyptapanteles
- Lancet Liver Fluke
- Leucochloridium Paradoxum
- Write a detailed paragraph explaining the relationship described on the website as well as your reaction, and PASS IT IN.
- You need to do at least one to earn credit for the HW assignment - due May 29th
- You can earn 2 lab points for each additional relationship you write about - due June 5th
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I read the hair worms article. In this parasite relationship, the hair worm goes inside of the grasshopper and secrets a chemical that messes with the grasshopper's central nervous system. Some of the proteins given off by the worm are the same proteins that grasshoppers produce. This biochemical mixture drives the grasshopper to the water. Once the grasshopper is in the water, the worm comes out of it's butt and swims to another mate. I think this relationship is both disturbing yet fascinating. These little parasites are incredible, I can't wrap my head around the fact that these little insects know how to do this. I wonder how the parasite knows the grasshopper is in water? Or why this biochemical secretion draws the grasshopper to the water? This is definitely a relationship worth doing more research on.
ReplyDeleteThe jewel wasp parasitic relationship with cockroaches is disgusting. Jewel wasps are venomous. Their venom, when injected into the cockroaches brain has the ability to block a chemical substance in the roaches brain, octopamine, which is responsible for roaches motivation to walk. The wasps inject this venom in order to take the cockroaches into their home’s, where they then lay an egg into the it’s body. They do this so their larva can hatch and develop inside the roach, and then eat the roach’s insides until they find their way out as an adult after a month of feeding on the live bug. I think this is absolutely disgusting but also scarily interesting. These wasps are smart enough to be able to target a specific part of a cockroaches brain, called the protocerebrum, and then inject their venom. It just creeps me out that wasps have the ability to make another creature zombie-like, and then use their body for their own purposes. However, I do find it interesting that this has allowed for more understanding of how animals initiate movement.
ReplyDeleteThe parasitic relationship between the grasshopper and the hair worm is very interesting to say the least. Affecting the grasshopper's central nervous system, a protein is released from the hair worm which affects the neural signals that are being sent to the brain of the grasshopper. Right before the grasshopper is ready to mate, this chemical sends them straight to the water where they jump to their own death and the worm swims out of the rear freely. This is a parasitic relationship because although the grasshopper does end up dying, the worm itself is not directly killing the grasshopper rather it is driving the grasshopper to suicide. This whole concept very much interests me because "The worm is about three or four times longer than the host" and it is amazing just to imagine. I wonder if there are more species living on earth that were ever chemically forced to suicide due to another species. Every living organism's main goal is to survive. So the idea of voluntary death intrigues me.
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