Wednesday 22 June 2022 12:11 AM Meet the mites that have sex on your face and nipples while you sleep trends now
The idea of eight-legged mites that have sex on your face and nipples while you sleep may sound like a concept from the latest horror blockbuster.
But the creatures are very much real and are becoming such simplified organisms that they may soon 'become one with humans,' according to a new study.
Demodex folliculorum mites are carried by almost every human on the face, eyelashes, and nipples, moving between follicles looking for a mate.
Researchers from the University of Reading have sequenced a mite's genome for the first time, and found inbreeding is causing them to shed unnecessary genes and cells.
Worryingly, the team says that the mites are moving towards a transition from external parasites to 'internal symbionts' that live within us.
The idea of eight-legged mites that have sex on your face while you sleep may sound like a concept from the latest horror blockbuster. But the creatures are very much real and are becoming such simplified organisms that they may soon 'become one with humans,' according to a new study
D. folliculorum mites are carried by almost every human on the face, eyelashes, and even nipples, moving between follicles looking for a mate
The mites measure just 0.01 inches (0.3mm) long, and are passed on during birth.
In their study, the researchers set out to explain their bizarre mating habits, body
