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Showing posts with the label Insect behavior Host-parasite interaction

ZOMBIE ANTS

INTRODUCTION  On hearing the word zombies,our mind immediately flashes the images of horror films and science fictions where reanimated bodies are shown wandering mindlessly under some wrong influence. But if we talk about the natural world, the process of zombification is not just fictional rather it is a real phenomenon. Most of the parasitic species have evolved the ability to manipulate the behavior of their host which forces them to act in ways which benefit the life cycle of a parasite. Sup In this blog post,we will expose the process of zombification, by quoting an example of a fungus named  Ophiocordyceps   unilateralis   which is often nicknamed as the "zombie-ant fungus". It is found in most of the tropical forests and it has developed an extraordinary ability to hijack an ant's body thus turning it into a vehicle for fungal reproduction. This phenomenon basically unfolds the parts of biology,horror story and an evolution.  THE LIFE CYCLE...