• Question: Have you ever dissected a nit too see what is inside it

    Asked by sullivan rules to Lydia on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Lydia Bach

      Lydia Bach answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Never, but that would be interesting!
      Mind you nits are really small, so I would probably have a hard time to opening them up with my dissection forceps! Instead we could probably use a needle to suck out whatever is in their stomachs and then look at them. They eat skin and blood, so we could do a DNA test to see who they have been feeding on!
      We could also use a high power microscope to look at them, like these guys have:

      http://www.visualphotos.com/image/1×6027752/coloured_sem_of_a_human_head_louse_with_egg_nit

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