Why do Mosquito bites itch?

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mosquitoe-1548947_640Why do Mosquito bites itch?

Widely distributed throughout different countries in the world, mosquitoes are now able to thrive in both warm and cool environments. Mosquito is under the class of insect which is derived from the Spanish or Portuguese language. The word mosquito literally means little fly. Although mosquitoes are frequently confused as casual observers because of its resemblance to flies which naturally do not feed on blood and bite humans, they remain to be one of major sources of diseases across the globe.

However, the issue at hand focuses on the reason why mosquito bites itch. Mosquitoes are insects which depend highly on blood for survival. And it is only the female mosquito that feed on blood. This female mosquito does not actually bite but instead, it pierces through the outermost layer of skin of any human being, of which is called the epidermis. It uses its straw-like mouth part called the proboscis. Once the proboscis is able to penetrate, it searches for blood vessels beyond the epidermis and releases some of her saliva into the blood vessels located. The saliva of a mosquito has an anticoagulant component that keeps the blood flowing until the mosquito gets satisfied with her meal. The saliva carries with it proteins from the mosquito which will adhere to the skin cells. As the immune system gets stimulated, it releases histamine which triggers the inflammatory response and fights off the foreign bodies. As histamine is released, the nerves surrounding the affected area get irritated by the dilation of blood vessels caused by the presence of histamine. The irritation is manifested in a form of itch.

In its simplest form therefore, mosquito bites itch because of the defense mechanism initiated by the body to ward off foreign microorganisms that has invaded the human system.

Author: plaza

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