Spider Cure 9 News Perth

[yuiyoshida]

[Siwsan]

1. Ironic, because seeing a Funnel-Web Spider, in person, would likely scare me into a stroke!

I suffer from a massive spider-phobia, and no amount of rational information can ease my terror. Even seeing spiders on video triggers my anxiety so I've tucked that video out of screen view and will have to skip that video!

[yuiyoshida]

2. I remember watching the movie Arachnophobia (1990)

scared the hell out of me!

[Siwsan]

3. I adore Jeff Daniels but had to listen to more of the movie, than I could watch!!

I had friends tipping me off as to when to cover my eyes!

[cab67]

5. my arachnophobia isn't quite that extreme...

...which is a good thing, because I work outside a lot. I'm OK, as long as they don't get on me. But Australian funnel-webs take spiderness to the next level, and parts of the video did make me turn my head.

I once visited a colleague at another university. They gave me a tour of their department. We came to a door, and my guide said, "That's our Latrodectus room." I'd heard the name before - I just couldn't put my finger on it. She opened the door and reached for the light switch; I got as far as "Oh, wait - isn't that the black wid-" before she turned the lights on, revealing about 200 black widow spiders. (One of the people in the department was studying spider silk, which might work very well as surgical sutures - it can be stronger than metal wire of similar diameter.) Each one was in a little enclosure, but still - I didn't last very long in the room.

[Siwsan]

6. When I was young I stopped going to the library because they had tarantulas in a terrarium

Some family had donated them. Fortunately, they didn't last for long.

[ffr]

4. Once again it's nature to the rescue of the natural world

While the venom from these spiders can kill a human within 15 minutes, the protein they discovered, Hi1, is not only harmless, but could be a game-changer in treating strokes.

It stood out for scientists because it looked like two copies of another chemical that can protect brain cells. However, “it proved to be even more potent,” Professor King said, according to the Guardian.

A stroke is a brain attack that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, depriving it of oxygen. When this happens, the brain burns glucose, producing acid, which can kill brain cells.

During the tests on rats, the Hi1 molecule was found to block acid-sensing in channels in the brain.

A dose of the protein two hours after the stroke cut down the brain damage in rats by 80%, Professor King wrote in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The Telegraph

Excellent find yuiyoshida!

[yuiyoshida]

7. you are welcome