In article <Cxnyuu.IDA at zoo.toronto.edu>,
Mark Siddall <mes at zoo.toronto.edu> wrote:
>In article <1994Oct13.191239.12553 at iglou.com> carolina at iglou.iglou.com (Caroli
na Hoskins) writes:
>>>>Pardon the spelling of the subject line, but could someone please tell me
>>what this is?
>>>>Thanks in advance
>>Carolina
>>>>--
>>>>>_Demodex_ _follicularum_
>^^ ^ ^^ ^^ ^ note useage of italics, capitalization,
> lack of capitalization and spelling.
>>D.f. is a mite.
>Mites and ticks together make up the Acarina which are arachnids like
>spiders etc (thus don't be callin' 'em insects, they ain't).
>>D. f. is a slender mite that hangs out in the sebaceous gland ducts
>(read "sweat") that empty at the base of human hair follicles (hence the
>name D. follicularum).
>The current wisdom is that EVERYONE's got 'em (or almost everyone)
>regardless of economic class, race, religion, cleanliness, etc etc...
>Thus, like eye-boogers, they are one of the world's great levelers!!
>Only in very rare cases are they ever associated with any kind of
>discomfort and inflamation.
>>Nice to know you're never alone.
>>Mark
>>--
>Mark E. Siddall "I don't mind a parasite...
>mes at vims.edu I object to a cut-rate one"
>Virginia Inst. Marine Sci. - Rick
>Gloucester Point, VA, 23062
I certainly do not want to start an argument, nor do I want to split hairs (pun
intended) about follicle mites, but a sebaceous gland is not a sweat gland.
The mites are found associated with sebaceous glands of hair follicles, but
such glands are distinct from the "sweat" glands.
--
Peter W. Pappas, Professor/Chairperson, Department of Zoology,
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
E-mail: pappas.3 at osu.edu; FAX (614)-292-2030,
PHONE (614)-292-8088
