A very important survival skill for the mosquito is to be able to seek out its prey (AKA, me). We humans are running about all over the place, and some of us spend way more time out of doors than others. So, I always wondered why mosquitoes seemed to seek out some (ME) more zestily than others. Some say it’s blood type, others say it’s wearing clothes that stand out against a background. Some say it’s eating too many bananas, others say it’s how much carbon dioxide you exhale....
None of these theories have been proven conclusively. For example, since mosquitoes do detect human presence by carbon dioxide, then beer drinkers should be more readily targeted. But we all know that this isn’t the way it works.
What we do know is that mosquitoes use their antennae to sniff the air. Within the antennae are odor receptors, made of two protein components: Orco, and another chosen from a variety of proteins to which Orco can couple. When they couple, together they bind a very specific odor molecule that then signals a neuron, which then tells the mosquito who/what is nearby.
Here’s the real reason I bring this up. I can't help the odor molecules I put out, that's something genetic and therefore cannot be altered. So, how does a chemical like DEET save me from these tiny little terrors? Well, the “answer” begins here with the partnered Orco receptor, and will “end” in the next post!
None of these theories have been proven conclusively. For example, since mosquitoes do detect human presence by carbon dioxide, then beer drinkers should be more readily targeted. But we all know that this isn’t the way it works.
What we do know is that mosquitoes use their antennae to sniff the air. Within the antennae are odor receptors, made of two protein components: Orco, and another chosen from a variety of proteins to which Orco can couple. When they couple, together they bind a very specific odor molecule that then signals a neuron, which then tells the mosquito who/what is nearby.
Here’s the real reason I bring this up. I can't help the odor molecules I put out, that's something genetic and therefore cannot be altered. So, how does a chemical like DEET save me from these tiny little terrors? Well, the “answer” begins here with the partnered Orco receptor, and will “end” in the next post!
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