Tiny mites live on your face
Yep, you've got little critters living all over. Let's get acquainted
now, in the pitch black of your pores, something is crawling
Where do microscopic eight-legged mites live and breed on almost every adult human?
- Yep, you've got little critters living all over. Let's get acquainted
- The human body is not a solitary entity but a complex ecosystem, a living planet teeming with microscopic life.
- The *Demodex* mite has approximately 9,700 genes, the lowest number recorded for any arthropod.
On your face, even as you read this, a creature stirs. Unseen, unfelt, it navigates the terrain of your pores, a landscape of sebaceous glands and follicular shafts. These arachnids, less than a third of a millimeter long, belong to an ancient lineage, intimately tied to human existence.
*Demodex folliculorum* and *Demodex brevis*, two distinct species, inhabit nearly every adult human. They emerge at night, under the cover of darkness, to mate near the surface of your skin before retreating into the follicular depths to lay their eggs and digest their meals of skin oils and cellular debris. Recent research has confirmed that *Demodex* mites do have a functional anus, debunking the old myth that they store waste until they die.
The human body is not a solitary entity but a complex ecosystem, a living planet teeming with microscopic life. This intricate co-evolution with organisms like the *Demodex* mite offers a profound perspective on our place within the delicate web of life, even that which resides just millimeters from our consciousness.
The *Demodex* mite has approximately 9,700 genes, the lowest number recorded for any arthropod.
How did this hit you?
Or say it in words - one line is enough.
Two questions from this article.
Both right earns +50 XP. No account needed.
Sources (2) - tap to view
The Ultimate Trivia Pack
100 questions worth asking out loud. Free, printable, and ready on your phone.
Discussion (0)
Add your name and join in. No account needed.
Loading…