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PaperclipPerfector  10mo ago (text post)   3429 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 25, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Why do mosquito bites itch?

Is it entirely accidental, as in, evolution only cared about whatever stuff mosquito inject acting as an effective anesthetic for the duration of the bite, not about what happens next? Or maybe it's beneficial for humans (makes us much more alert and aggressive towards further mosquitos) or maybe even individual mosquitos due to intra-species competition?

Google suggests this is just the normal response to anything irritating your skin, which is a crazy, self-sealing, flexible membrane that keeps most contaminants out. Scrapes and cuts, especially scabs, itch too.

Scrapes and cuts, especially scabs, itch too.

It's not comparable at all. A cut doesn't begin to itch until after several days, and don't itch at anywhere the intensity proportional to the affected area. Needle pricks don't itch at all and they are tens or hundreds of times larger by area than mosquito bites. So no, it's evidently a reaction to the anesthetic stuff they inject.

Mosquito bites, being very small injuries, begin to itch much faster than bigger ones because they heal faster?

From what I remember, mosquito saliva is in fact an anti-coagulant, not a anesthetic -- this doesn't quite answer why it would be itchy, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were something to do with the healing process.

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