iDemodex mite
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Acarina Family: Demodicoidea Genus: Demodex
Species
Demodex brevis Demodex bovis Demodex canis Demodex caprae Demodex cati Demodex equi Demodex folliculorum Demodex ovis Demodex phyloides Image File history File links Haarbalgmilbe. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ... Orders Acarina Amblypygi Araneae Opiliones Palpigradi Pseudoscorpionida Ricinulei Schizomida Scorpiones Solifugae Uropygi The arachnids, Arachnida, are a class of invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. ... Suborders Acariformes Parasitiformes Opilioacariformes Acarina or acari is an order of arachnids that consists of mites and ticks. ... Binomial name Demodex folliculorum Demodex folliculorum is a small species of demodex mite that usually lives harmlessly in human hair follicles, especially those of the facial region, and the eyelashes, as well as external ear channels. ...

The demodex mites form a genus of tiny parasitic mites which live in or near hair follicles of mammals. Some species live on humans, for instance Demodex folliculorum which is primarily found in the hair follicles of the eyelashes and eyebrows, and Demodex brevis which lives in sebaceous glands connected to hair follicles. See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Families Tetranychidae - Spider mites Eriophyidae - Gall mites Sarcoptidae - Sarcoptic Mange mites The mites and ticks, order Acarina or Acari, belong to the Arachnida and are among the most diverse and successful of all the invertebrate groups, although some way behind the insects. ... A hair follicle is part of the skin that grows hair by packing old cells together. ... Orders Multituberculata (extinct) Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Cingulata Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Leptictida (extinct) Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata... Binomial name Demodex folliculorum Demodex folliculorum is a small species of demodex mite that usually lives harmlessly in human hair follicles, especially those of the facial region, and the eyelashes, as well as external ear channels. ... A closed eye, displaying lashes The eye now open — lashes less visible An eyelash or simply lash is one of the hairs that grow at the edge of the eyelid. ... The eyebrow is a bony ridge above the eye that protects the eye and bears a tuft of facial hair in most mammals. ... Schematic view of a hair follicle with sebaceous gland. ...

The adult mites have a semi-transparent elongated body that consists of two segments and is between 0.1 mm and 0.4 mm long. Eight short segmented legs are attached to the first body segment. The body is covered with scales for anchoring itself in the hair follicle, and the mite has pin-like mouth-parts for eating skin-cells, hormones and oils (sebum) which accumulate in the hair follicles. The mite's digestive system is so efficient and results in so little waste that there is no excretory orifice. The mites can leave the hair follicles and slowly walk around on the skin, especially at night. (Redirected from 1 E 4 m) To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 km (104 to 105 m). ... In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs. ... A hormone (from Greek horman - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... The sebaceous glands are glands found in the skin of mammals. ... For the Physics term GUT, please refer to Grand unification theory The gastrointestinal or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and...

The total lifespan of a Demodex mite is several weeks. Mating takes place on the skin, and eggs are layed inside the hair follicles or sebaceous glands. The six-legged larvae hatch after 3-4 days, and it takes about seven days for the larvae to develop into adults. The dead mites decompose inside the hair follicles or sebaceous glands. A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ...

An estimated 96-98% of all people carry such mites—with up to 25 in each follicle, each person can have a potentially huge population of mites. It is quite easy to look for your own demodex mites, by carefully removing an eyelash or eyebrow hair and placing it under a microscope.

In the vast majority of cases, the mites go unobserved, without any adverse symptoms, but in certain cases (usually related to a suppressed immune system, caused by stress or illness) mite populations can dramatically increase, resulting in a condition known as demodicosis, characterised by itching, inflammation and other skin disorders. ... Mange is an irritation of the skin, primarily including hair loss but might also include itching and inflammation, all caused by microscopic mites. ...

The mites are transferred between hosts through contact of hair, eyebrows and of the sebaceous glands on the nose. Demodex is typically initially contracted within the first few hours after birth from the birth mother. Different species of animals host different species of demodex; and demodex is not contagious between different species.

Demodex canis

The species Demodex canis lives only on the domestic dog. While, like with humans, most dogs live with their mites without harm, a minority do not have immune systems capable of completely controlling the mites, leading to a potentially dangerous infestation called demodectic mange. While direct treatment for severe cases is possible using a drug known as Mitaban which is applied to the skin, improved nutrition and checking for other, immune-system suppressing diseases are also recommended. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1198x917, 114 KB) Photo of Demodex canis taken through a microscope by Joel Mills on March 23, 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1198x917, 114 KB) Photo of Demodex canis taken through a microscope by Joel Mills on March 23, 2005. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora. ... Mange is an irritation of the skin, primarily resulting in hair loss and sometimes including itching and inflammation, all of which are caused by microscopic mites. ... Mitaban is a brand name parasiticidal drug labeled in the United States for use in dogs with demodectic mange. ...

There is some evidence linking demodex mites to acne rosacea. Some people believe that there is also a link to acne vulgaris, but there is little research to back this up, and quite reasonable experimental evidence linking acne vulgaris to a sensitivity to Propionibacterium acnes. Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, the mildest form of the condition, is characterized by persistent facial redness. ... Acne of a 14 year old boy during puberty. ... Binomial name Propionibacterium acnes (Gilchrist 1900) Douglas & Gunter 1946 Propionibacterium acnes is a relatively slow growing, (typically) obligate anaerobe gram positive bacterium that is linked to the skin condition acne; it can also cause chronic blepharitis and endophthalmitis, the latter particularly following intraocular surgery. ...

External links

• Demodex, an inhabitant of human hair follicles, and a mite which we live with in harmony, by M. Halit Umar, published in the May 2000 edition of Micscape Magazine, includes several micrographs
• Demodicosis, an article by Manolette R Roque, MD
• Mites might cause mighty problems, USA Today (Magazine), Feb 2004
• Demodex in the Dog, by T. J. Dunn, Jr. DVM