Hi! Wie geht's? It took me almost a month before I was able to post a message again. . Sorry about that. I have had a very busy month for I was finishing several assignments (TMAs-Teacher-Marked Assignment as they call it in UPOU) in my Bio and Chem class. Well, I was able to read something in National Geographic Website about a parasitic hairworm which infects grasshoppers and ultimately persuade it to commit suicide by drowning itself to make it easier for the worm to continue its life cycle particularly completed in water. The hairworm is actually thrice or four times the length of the host (grasshopper) after showing up when the grasshopper is already drowned in water. Once inside the host, the parasitic worm presumably , as the chain of events suggest it, takes over the insect's nervous government and influence the insect to submit itself completely from the worm's viscious scheme. It will eventually drown itself to favor the continuity of the worm's life cycle. What a horrible fate for grasshoppers! I think ascaris will soon develop the same aptitude and influence us into doing something very stupid. :( Grabe. Gusto ko tuloy magpurga. :( Katakot. Plead read on the article below for full text of the article in question. Thanks again!
Jules
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James Owenfor National Geographic News
September 1, 2005
Parasites were the inspiration behind the creature that terrified moviegoers in Alien. Now sci-fi screenwriters may have a new role model—parasitic worms that brainwash their victims.
Scientists say hairworms, which live inside grasshoppers, pump the insects with a cocktail of chemicals that makes them commit suicide by leaping into water. The parasites then swim away from their drowning hosts to continue their life cycle.
A team of French biologists made the discovery after monitoring grasshoppers that became trapped in a swimming pool in southern France.
Postmortems of the grasshoppers suggest that worms triggered the insects' death leaps by sabotaging their central nervous...
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