4 ms·
Robert Sapolsky discusses Toxoplasma's effects on mammalian behavior
- btilly 17y agoToxoplasma infection is so pervasive and influential that it has been fingered as a possible contributer to differences between cultures: http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2008/10/toxoplasma_the_brain_parasite_that_influences_human_culture.php http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2008/10/toxoplasma_...
- davi 17y agoAlso cool how it disseminates through the brain: "Researchers in Sweden report that the parasite fans out through the body by manipulating mobile cells that are part of the immune system." http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/science/20toxo.html http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/science/20toxo.html, see also http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/06/20/toxoplasma-on-the-brain/ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/06/20/toxoplasma... This is interesting because it's very hard to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. One could imagine an engineered toxoplasma that delivers drugs to the brain via this route.
- LogicHoleFlaw 17y agoWhat freaks me out about this parasite is that it causes behavior changes in humans even in the asymptomatic cyst stage and is so widely prevalent. Ugh.
- moonpolysoft 17y agoDoes he fart at 26s?