On a recent episode of the KQED science series Deep Look, they explore the terrifying anatomy of a mosquito bite. We get a magnified look at how the dangerous insects use their “six needle-like mouthparts to saw into our skin, tap a blood vessel, and sometimes leave a dangerous parting gift.”
It’s a good thing you can’t really see what that mosquito is doing when it bites — you probably wouldn’t want to watch as it buries six needles into you. But scientists have been figuring out all the bloody details. And it’s not just for idle curiosity: mosquito bites are more dangerous to humans than any other animal bite. While female mosquitoes — only females bite us — are drinking our blood to grow their eggs, they can leave behind viruses and parasites that cause diseases like West Nile, Zika, malaria and dengue. (read more)
image via KQED
