There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this. Where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born. In movies, shows, and literature, zombies are often depicted as being created by an infectious virus, which is passed on via bites and contact with bodily fluids. The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The spread of this idea has led many people to wonder “How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?” Could there really be a zombie apocalypse? Yes, and here's why: Brain Parasite: What are they? Parasites that turn victims into mindless, zombie-like slaves are fairly common in nature. There's one called toxoplasmosa gondii that seems to devote its entire existence to being terrifying. This bug infects rats, but can only breed inside the intestines of a cat. The parasite knows it needs to get the rat inside the cat, so the parasite takes over the rat's brain, and intentionally makes it scurry toward where the cats hang out. The rat is being programmed to get itself eaten, and it doesn't even know. Mad Cow Disease Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a transmissible, slowly progressive, degenerative, and fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle. A human version of mad cow disease called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is believed to be caused by eating beef products contaminated with central nervous system tissue, such as brain and spinal cord, from cattle infected with mad cow disease. Don't worry, the FDA has this under control... Mind Controlling Fungi It’s not always easy being a fungus residing in a tropical forest. Humidity and temperature fluctuate, and many species can only thrive within a specific range of these variables. But members of the Ophiocordyceps genus have evolved a spectacular mechanism to get around this. They zombify host ants and make them seek out the perfect environment for growth. And to add insult to injury, they also kill the poor suckers and grow a triumphant stalk out of their head. Suicidal Crickets Horse hair worms are long stringy endoparasites of various arthropods, and they are sickeningly interesting. The larvae of these creatures reside in bodies of water throughout America, and start off their bizarre journey after being eaten by a mosquito. These insects then get gobbled up by hungry crickets, who really don’t know what's coming next. The parasites burrow through the gut of the cricket before settling down in a comfy body cavity. Incredibly, the worm can grow to around a foot in length, inside a little cricket! Quite the contortionist. Then, the worm needs to get back in the water to complete its life cycle, so it makes the cricket commit suicide. Normally, crickets stay away from water for fear of death, but infected hosts actually go out of their way to seek out water and cannonball into it, killing the poor swimmers pretty quickly. Nature is SO strange and we are just beginning to understand a little of it. I like watching Zombie's run after humans and humans run after Zombies when I'm safe in my home watching from my safe little chair. But out in the world there is so much to learn.
So be ready for a Zombie Apocalypse, it could be taking place right under your nose, under your house, at the park or in a national forest. Zombies are everywhere.....
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |