Why Hairworms Don’t Have Hair

Hairworms, sometimes called horsehair or Gordian worms, are mind-controlling parasites with a twist. A genetic study found these nematomorph worms are missing 30% of their genome, and we don't understand how they live without genes for cilia, a structure we thought all animals have.

Hosted by: Stefan Chin (he/him)
----------
Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: Adam Brainard, Alex Hackman, Ash, Bryan Cloer, charles george, Chris Mackey, Chris Peters, Christoph Schwanke, Christopher R Boucher, Eric Jensen, Harrison Mills, Jaap Westera, Jason A Saslow, Jeffrey Mckishen, Jeremy Mattern, Kevin Bealer, Matt Curls, Michelle Dove, Piya Shedden, Rizwan Kassim, Sam Lutfi
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
SciShow Tangents Podcast: https://scishow-tangents.simplecast.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scishow
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow

#SciShow #science #education #learning #complexly
----------
Sources:
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00908-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982223009089%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7017330/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00410.x
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/09-1565.1
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(21)00660-6.pdf

Images Sources:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis.png
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paragordius_tricuspidatus.jpeg
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/horsehair-worm-moving-on-rock-stock-footage/1217294426?adppopup=true
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/nematomorpha-or-horsehair-worm-stock-footage/1638052574?adppopup=true
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spinochordodes_in_Meconema.jpg
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/nematomorpha-or-gordiacea-or-horsehair-worm-parasite-stock-footage/1399436355?adppopup=true
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronchiolar_epithelium_4_-_SEM.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antaxius_pedestris_%26_Nematomorpha_(7973589340).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horsehair_Worm_(14629048952).jpg
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/paramecium-caudatum-is-a-genus-of-unicellular-ciliated-stock-footage/1181579745?adppopup=true
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/movement-of-spermatozoa-under-a-microscope-stock-footage/946036706?adppopup=true
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ependyma.png
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/neurons-microscope-slide-concept-royalty-free-image/1444782324?phrase=brain&adppopup=true
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stereocilia_of_frog_inner_ear.01.jpg
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/universal-trendy-halftone-clip-art-set-royalty-free-illustration/1412725258?phrase=ear&adppopup=true
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:L.dispar10.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nematomorpha.JPG
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/ciliated-cells-in-motion-stock-footage/1032906892?adppopup=true
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mantis_and_Nematomorpha.png
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gordius_aquaticus_-_Wasserkalb.jpg
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/991752
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/phylum-nematomorpha-horsehair-worm-gordian-worms-royalty-free-image/1164896720?phrase=horsehair+worm&adppopup=true