Could a zombie apocalypse brought on by fungi, like Cordyceps from “The Last of Us,” actually occur? – Jupiter, age 15, Ithaca, New York
Zombies strike fear into our hearts – and in the event that they persist, eventually they enter our heads. Animals possessed by zombies now not have control over their bodies or behavior. Instead, they serve the interests of a master, be it a virus, fungus or other harmful agent.
the term “both” comes from Voodoo, a religion that developed in the Caribbean country of Haiti. But the idea of armies Undead, brain-eating human zombies comes from movies, such as “Night of the Living Dead“Television shows like “The Walking DeadAnd video games like Resident Evil.
All these are fictitious. Nature is where we will find real examples of zombification – one organism controlling the behavior of one other organism.
i read Fungusa big biological kingdom that features molds, mildews, yeasts, mushrooms, and zombifying fungi. Don't worry – these “brain-eating creatures” goal insects.
Insects take away the body
One of essentially the most famous examples is the zombie ant fungus, which is an element of a bigger group often called Cordyceps fungi. This fungus infected. Video game And The HBO series “The Last of Us,” during which a widespread fungal infection turns people into zombie-like creatures and causes society to collapse.
In the true world, ants often come into contact with the fungus when spores — the pollen-sized reproductive particles that make up the fungus — fall on an ant from a tree or plant. The spores penetrate the ant's body without killing it.
Once inside, the fungus proliferates in yeast form. The ant stops communicating with the nest and wanders around aimlessly. Eventually it becomes hyperactive.
Finally, the fungus causes ant Climbing a plant and shut a leaf or stem with its jaws – a behavior called smiting. The fungus transforms right into a recent stage and eats the ant's organs, including its brain. A stalk sprouts from the dead insect's head and produces spores, which fall on the healthy ants below, starting the cycle again.
Matt Cason, CC BY-ND
Scientists have described quite a few forms of it. Each is small, with a really specific lifestyle. Some live only in certain areas: for instance, a parasite of the social cockroach, found only in Ryukyu Islands of Japan. I expect there are numerous more species waiting to be discovered around the globe.
The zombie cicada fungus, too, has gained plenty of attention lately. It infects and controls periodic cicadas, that are cicadas that live underground and briefly emerge to mate in 13- or 17-year cycles.
The fungus keeps cicadas moving and flying, until it eats away and replaces their hind-ends and abdomens. This prolonged “active host” behavior is rare amongst fungi that attack insects. They have members of the family that prey on flies, moths, millipedes, and soldier beetles, but they overwhelm their hosts and die, as do ants.
The Real Dangers of Fungal
These diverse morbid partnerships – the relationships that result in death – were formed and refined over tens of millions of years of evolutionary time. A fungus that focuses on infecting and controlling ants or cicadas would should evolve massive recent tools over tens of millions of years to contaminate some other insect, let alone a human. .
In my research, I actually have collected and handled a whole lot of live and dead zombie cicadas, in addition to countless fungus-infected insects, spiders, and millipedes. I actually have dissected a whole lot of specimens and uncovered fascinating elements of their biology. Despite this long exposure, I'm still accountable for my behavior.
Matt Cason, CC BY-ND
Some fungi There is a threat to human health. Examples include and, each of which may invade people's lungs and cause serious symptoms resembling pneumonia. Can spread beyond the lungs to the central nervous system and cause symptoms resembling neck stiffness, vomiting and sensitivity to light.
There are invasive fungal diseases. Booming around the world. So are common fungal infections, resembling athlete's foot — a rash between your toes — and ringworm, a rash that, despite its name, is brought on by a fungus.
Fungi all the time thrive in warm and humid environments. you possibly can Protect yourself from many of them. By showering after you're sweaty or dirty and never sharing sports equipment or towels with other people.
Not all fungi are scary, and even the scary ones won't turn you into the walking dead. You're prone to come into contact with the zombifying fungus by watching scary movies or playing video games.
If you're lucky, you would possibly discover a zombie ant or bee in your individual neighborhood. And in case you think they're good, you possibly can develop into a scientist like me and spend your life in search of them.