Horseshoe crabs' blood, vital for medical safety testing due to its unique clotting properties, has become highly valuable, costing around $15,000 per liter. Since the 1970s, pharmaceutical companies have used it to ensure medications are free of harmful bacteria. Despite alternatives like synthetic substitutes, horseshoe crab blood remains preferred due to its proven effectiveness. However, the extraction process is not without consequences; it can lead to lethargy, reduced reproduction rates, and even death in horseshoe crabs. Environmental concerns have risen due to their declining population from habitat destruction and overfishing. As a keystone species, their survival is crucial for other animals like migratory birds and marine species. Efforts are increasing to find sustainable alternatives to horseshoe crab blood to prevent their potential extinction.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Horseshoe crabs have been on Earth for over 450 million years.
2. They are called "living fossils" because they have existed in one form or another for so long.
3. Horseshoe crabs survived several major ice ages, the great extinction, and an asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs.
4. In 1970, blood began to be extracted from horseshoe crabs for medical use.
5. The blood of horseshoe crabs is used to test for contamination of new medications and vaccines.
6. The blood contains a chemical substance that reacts to the presence of bacteria.
7. A pathologist named Frederick Bang discovered the properties of horseshoe crab blood in the 1970s.
8. Horseshoe crabs are used to detect signs of life on other planets.
9. The blood of horseshoe crabs is used to test the sterility of needles, the safety of water, and the quality of artificial joints and implants.
10. Over 400,000 horseshoe crabs are bled each year for their blood.
11. The demand for horseshoe crab blood has been increasing over the years.
12. In the past, rabbits were used to test for the safety of medications, but this practice has largely been replaced by the use of horseshoe crab blood.
13. A synthetic substitute for horseshoe crab blood has been available for about 20 years, but it is not widely used.
14. Pharmaceutical companies claim that synthetic substitutes are not sufficiently tested or safe.
15. Horseshoe crabs are an important part of the ecosystem and are connected to other animals, such as striped bass, flounder, and diamondback turtles.
16. The eggs of horseshoe crabs are eaten by migratory birds, which rely on them for nutrition.
17. Horseshoe crabs are considered a delicacy in some parts of Asia, such as Japan, China, and Taiwan.
18. In the United States, it is illegal to harm horseshoe crabs after they have been bled for their blood.
19. Horseshoe crabs are not actually crabs, but are arachnids, related to spiders and scorpions.
20. Scientists have discovered fossils of ancient horseshoe crabs that lived over 445 million years ago.