Advertisement

August 30, 2011

Bedbugs Protect Sperm From Bacteria

Jennifer Carpenter, BBC News


AP Photo

Bed bugs protect their sperm against sexually transmitted infections by producing germ-busting ejaculates, scientists have found.

Bacteria covering bed bugs' bodies are transmitted to the female, along with the sperm, during mating.

The new work shows that without the protection of antibacterial agents in the bug's ejaculate, 40% of sperm die.

Read Full Article ››

TAGGED: enzyme, bacteria, sperm, bedbugs

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

May 17, 2012
Deep-Sea Bacteria Live Slow and Die Old
Ed Yong, The Scientist
In the northern Pacific Ocean, buried 20 meters below the ocean floor, are bacteria that live life in the extreme slow lane. They have not received any fresh sources of food since they were buried 86 million years ago, when... more ››
May 15, 2012
Extreme Bacteria: Some Like It Very Hot
Bryan Appleyard, Intelligent Life
Russian scientists have now poured 60 tonnes of freon and kerosene down the four-kilometre bore hole that plunges through the ice above Lake Vostok in Antarctica. This will stop the hole freezing up during the long Antarctic... more ››
May 7, 2012
Measuring the Fluctuating Microbiome
Veronique Greenwood, Discover
When John Mayer sang “Your Body is a Wonderland,” he probably wasn’t talking about the trillions of microbes that live all over your skin and inside every orifice you have to offer—but it does pretty... more ››
|