Vareiln wrote:Miss Defied wrote:Let me guess, you are going to turn this into a case for creationism, right?
You should just come right out with it and say so in your OP.
There's lots of crazy stuff in the world. The very existence of viruses and what they do is practically unfathomable when you think about it.
None of this makes a case for the existence of god.
Edit: tags
What's even worse is that Cordyceps fungi. And then there's hookworms and tapeworms... And botflies...
And lets not forget the brain eating amoeba, which can survive water temperatures of up to 42 C (about 107.6 F), is found in many freshwater sources (including all freshwater sources in the state of Texas, though no specimens have been found in a saltwater environment, and it is important to note that while infections from tap water have been documented, contaminated tap water is an extremely rare occurence, due to the amoeba's sensitivity to chlorine), has a fatality rate of about 98% (for comparison, the mortality rates for anthrax (which can survive even more extreme conditions) are: 92% (historical mortality rate for respiratory infections, though with timely treatment, the modern mortality rate is about 45%, though the fatality rate is 97% regardless of treatment when it progresses to the fulminant phase), 25-60% for gastrointestinal infection (the rarest type of anthrax infection), and 20% for cutaneous infection), and has no unusual initial symptoms (compared to other more common and less deadly diseases), save for a change in taste and smell (as the disease usually starts in the nasal region after exposure to infected freshwater). Death usually occurs 7-14 days after infection, and there is no known effective treatment. Since 1998, there have been about 33 documented deaths from the infection, with 32 of those occurring between 2001 and 2010.
The organism prefers warm temperatures, and we are constantly exposed to it. Apparently, the main reason infections are so rare is due to the fact that infected water must go really far up your nose in order for it to contact with the olfactory nerve.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_am ... cephalitishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-eating_amoebahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AnthraxXathranaar wrote:Miss Defied wrote:Well in that case, by "it" do you mean rhizocephala? It went to that much trouble because it figured out how to maximize it's own ability to survive and thrive by doing the least amount of work possible. So it evolved to create this complex method of living off of another creature much to the detriment of said creature. We have something similar in the human species as well. They're called "derivatives traders."
The great thing is, that now that the parasite is so dependent upon said crab, it will probably start evolving to find ways to help the thing survive longer and be more resistant to predators. Eventually, the two may become symbiotic.
When one recalls that there are 3 forms of lice that are dependent on human blood (so much so that if humans disappeared entirely, they'd all be extinct within 3 days), its not unreasonable to guess that lice may try to take a similar route with us.
And, given how much bacteria are in the human intestines, such a symbiosis may have already developed.[/Gren's speculation, not necessarily backed up by fact]
According to wiki, before birth, the intestinal tracts of fetuses are sterile, but immediately after birth, due to the omnipresence of bacteria, an infant will be colonized by many different species of bacteria through various interactions with the mother. Without those bacteria species, we could not digest many things we consume (mainly milk and certain carbohydrates), meaning we'd have to eat more food than if we did have them. In addition, they may outcompete certain harmful species, and provide a sort of training to the infant immune system, thus providing a double immune system benefit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora
Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 6:06 am
