How does a tick get into the body? - briefly
A tick attaches to the skin, cuts a tiny opening, and inserts its barbed hypostome to reach the dermal blood vessels. It then secretes a cement‑like substance that anchors it while it feeds.
How does a tick get into the body? - in detail
Ticks locate a host by sensing carbon‑dioxide, body heat, and movement. When a suitable animal passes within reach, the tick climbs onto the skin and adopts a “questing” posture, extending its forelegs to grasp hair or clothing.
Attachment begins when the tick’s chelicerae probe the outer skin layers. The hypostome, a barbed feeding tube, is then driven into the epidermis and dermis. Saliva containing anticoagulants, anti‑inflammatory agents, and anesthetic compounds is injected simultaneously, preventing clotting and reducing the host’s sensation of the bite.
The feeding process proceeds in distinct phases:
- Attachment and insertion – hypostome penetrates skin, saliva establishes a feeding site.
- Slow feeding – tick ingests blood gradually, expanding its body over several days.
- Engorgement – abdomen swells to many times its original size as blood volume increases.
- Detachment – after completion, the tick releases its grip and drops off the host.
Throughout the feeding period, the tick’s cement‑like secretions secure the mouthparts to the surrounding tissue, allowing sustained blood intake without dislodgement. Once the tick disengages, it seeks a protected environment to digest the meal and begin the next developmental stage.