Page 69 - The Miracle in the Mosquito

A Brand-New Body

One of the mosquito’s receptors is heat-sensitive. It perceives the
heat given off by bodies.

particularly in the dark. A very sensitive heat receptor is also
found in the body of the mosquito. This organ, known as the “tar-
si,” is located in the forelegs of the mosquito. When these organs
detect the heat waves coming from a body, the mosquito is drawn
by them and reaches its target unerringly. Furthermore, thanks to
this heat detector, it can easily find the regions under the skin
where there is the most blood, as veins are warmer than tissue.
In other words, a mosquito entering a pitch-dark bedroom
can accurately perceive the exposed parts of a sleeping person’s
body, even to the point of finding the veins close to the skin.
Another factor that attracts the mosquito is carbon dioxide
gas. This gas present in the breath of humans and animals is par-
ticularly attractive to mosquitoes and serves as an important clue
in the finding of prey. In an experiment to show the effect of car-

bon dioxide on mosquitoes, two humanoid models were placed
two metres (6.5 feet) apart. Then carbon dioxide was emitted at
breathing pace by means of a mechanism installed in the mouths
of the models. Immediately mosquitoes began circling the heads
of the models.
The cocktail of amino acids, amines, ammonia and lactic acid

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