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Spotlight on Cordyceps

Spotlight on Cordyceps. A Fungus using Mind Control on Ants. Entering the Ant. Cordyceps is a genus of Sac Fungi that is parasitic to insects Cordyceps spores attach to the exoskeleton of the ant and begin to grow into hyphae

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Spotlight on Cordyceps

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  1. Spotlight on Cordyceps A Fungus using Mind Control on Ants

  2. Entering the Ant • Cordyceps is a genus of Sac Fungi that is parasitic to insects • Cordyceps spores attach to the exoskeleton of the ant and begin to grow into hyphae • Hyphae grow into the ant’s body through openings called spiracles that lead into the tubules (trachea) of the ant’s respiratory system

  3. Growth and Control of Ant Behavior • Inside the ant, hyphae grow into a mycelium, digesting and absorbing some of the soft tissues but sparing the ant’s organs • When ready to produce spores, the fungus grows into the ant’s brain and interferes with its response to pheromones, chemicals released for communication between ants • If the odd behavior of an infected ant is recognized, another ant can carry it far away from the nest area and discard it • If undetected, the fungus-infested ant climbs up a plant to a leaf of a specific height and attaches securely by its mandibles (appendages near the mouth), to a region near one of the leaf’s veins

  4. Spore Production and Distribution • Fungal growth continues inside to stabilize the ant’s exoskeleton and outside to strengthen attachment to the leaf. The fungus also produces antimicrobial substances to repel competitors. • The fungal growth destroys the ant’s brain and a fruiting body grows out of the ant’s head • The fruiting body releases spores, first by asexual reproduction but later by sexual reproduction • Studies have shown that the position of the ant on the underside of leaves of a certain height gives ideal conditions of temperature and humidity for fungal growth and spore production

  5. Benefits? • Consider the ecological balance between ant and fungus population sizes • Consider whether the fungus can produce any beneficial substances • Cordycepin is chemically similar to adenosine and shows promise as a possible anti-tumor, anti-fungal and anti-viral drug

  6. Questions to Answer • To which group of fungi does Cordyceps belong? • What part of the fungus first reaches the ant? • Which part of the fungal body plan grows within the body of the ant? • Interference with which type of chemical signal causes the ant to climb a plant and attach to a leaf?

  7. Questions to Answer • What do uninfected ants do when encountering an infected ant? • What part of the body plan of the fungus grows from the ant’s head? • Are spores produced by mitosis or meiosis? • What are the current and future beneficial effects to be gained from Cordyceps?

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