Before We Begin... A Word About Your Gross Friends If you think you're going to be reading this book alone, think again. Living on and inside your body are thousands of creatures: some good, some bad, and most just plain ugly. It's a Mite, Mite World Members of the arachnid class, mites are some of the oldest animals to walk the earth, with a lineage stretching back over 370 million years. But mites don't just walk the earth, they can live in fresh and saltwater, and thrive in deserts and the tropics. Some have even been found in Antarctica, where they survive by producing a chemical that resembles antifreeze. House Dust Mites There's no point in cowering under a pillow to hide from the dust mites (of which there are dozens of species). That's where dust mites call home! Hordes of these guys live on our pillows, rugs, and mattresses. They thrive in a humid environment -- often provided by our warm, moist breath. These flesh-eaters dine on skin that has flaked off our bodies. One healthy dust mite can poop around 20 anal pellets a day. Their pellets get scattered in the air with our movements, which can cause people to suffer from problems including allergies, eczema (a skin inflammation), and asthma. Demodex Mites These eight-legged critters are shaped like tiny cigars. Their stubby legs all poke out near their front ends, forcing the mites to drag their long rear ends across your skin at speeds up to 1 cm (less than 1/2 inch) an hour. Demodex mites make themselves at home on your head, in your nose, and even around your eyelashes. Don't Forget Bacteria! Though bacteria make up less than 0.5% of your body weight, there are more bacteria living on you than there are people in the world (a thousand of them alone could fit on the head of a pin). It's been estimated that humans have 50 million individual bacteria per square centimeter (1/2 inch) of skin! Oily, sweaty places like your armpits have many more. But there are some places where you'll find little to no microbial life, like your urine storing bladder or the lower regions of the lungs. And just so you know, it's been estimated that there are nine times more bacteria in and on the human body than there are cells in the human body! Excerpted from Gross Universe: Your Guide to All Disgusting Things under the Sun by Jeff Szpirglas All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
