What is the intended function of the complex saliva components introduced by ticks during feeding?
Answer
To keep blood flowing and modulate the host's inflammatory response
The complex mixture of chemical compounds found in tick saliva serves a crucial purpose for the parasite during the feeding process. These components are evolved over millennia to perform two primary functions simultaneously: ensuring a continuous flow of blood by preventing coagulation, and keeping the host largely unaware or unreactive by modulating or suppressing the host's inflammatory response. This suppression of host defenses unfortunately creates an ideal, unobstructed pathway for any symbiotic pathogens the tick is carrying to successfully enter the host's bloodstream.
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