What does a tick do? - briefly
A tick finds a host, inserts its mouthparts, and consumes blood for nourishment. While feeding, it may transmit bacteria, viruses, or parasites to the host.
What does a tick do? - in detail
A tick is a hematophagous ectoparasite that attaches to the skin of vertebrate hosts to obtain blood meals. The feeding process begins when the tick detects heat, carbon dioxide, and movement, prompting it to climb onto the host and locate a suitable attachment site. Using its specialized mouthparts—chelicerae to cut the skin and a hypostome equipped with barbs and a cement-like secretion—the tick secures itself and creates a feeding canal.
During ingestion, the tick secretes saliva containing anticoagulants, anti‑inflammatory agents, and immunomodulatory proteins. These substances prevent clotting, reduce host pain, and suppress immune responses, allowing the parasite to remain attached for several days to weeks, depending on its life stage. The blood meal provides nutrients essential for growth, molting, and reproduction.
Key physiological actions of the tick include:
- Engorgement: Expansion of the body as it stores large volumes of blood, sometimes increasing its mass by several hundred times.
- Pathogen transmission: Transfer of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa (e.g., Lyme disease spirochetes, Rocky Mountain spotted fever rickettsiae) through saliva during feeding.
- Reproductive cycle: After detaching, the engorged female lays thousands of eggs; subsequent larvae, nymphs, and adults repeat the host‑seeking and feeding sequence.
The tick’s life cycle comprises egg, larva, nymph, and adult stages, each requiring at least one blood meal to progress. Environmental cues such as temperature and humidity regulate questing behavior, while host availability determines feeding success. By extracting blood and potentially delivering pathogens, ticks influence both individual animal health and broader ecosystem disease dynamics.