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Home sweet home- Eskimos and microbes -demodex

When did you last visit your home?


Home is where most of us love to be. Especially, a place where there is comfort, love, safety and company. Most of fortunate of us have lived in a home or already living in such a place. For some of us unfortunate, 'home' although far away brings us memories that we cherish throughout our lives. It may be a small hut, may be a big house or a mansion with a maze and a garden, It may be a mobile trailer, or a boat, everyone likes to be in home. Most of us miss our home when we are away on a trip. Even when it is a long-awaited trip to most beautiful place on the planet, we tend to get tired and look back at the watch to wait until we get to our comfort of home.


Old tropical house

Look at an igloo or a tent home in arctic Eskimo family. They have temporary homes, with a single room. Everything is done, in presence of your family. Everyone, eat sing, and sleep. Everyone expects return to their home, even if they go out for fishing, or hunting. Its a small world, a small community. But emotions, lifestyles cultures are handed over to the younger generations, although they would not stick to that, home will be in their minds as more than just a mere place of shelter.

Their children will grow out of those homes, migrate to towns and will build their own homes, in modern ways. Yet, for their children, it will be the only home that they know of. I still live in my mind playing with my siblings in our old home with two rooms and kitchen. Happy memories. How about you?


Eskimo tent

Not only humans, but animals also have their own homes. Imagine the Eskimo family. Their sledge dogs are a family too. They also have their own place even though out in the cold. They have each other's skin against each other to build their home outside the hut. They squeeze together, and they feel the warmth, safety and comfort, as long as they are together.


You would wonder why I started taking about this story of sweet homes. I was watching a documentary the other day about different kinds of animals and came to know that there are some animals call us as their home. It is true. There are some tiny animals who live their whole life on our bodies. Not only our bodies are home to them, for some it is the only known universe to them.


sledge dogs sleeping

Take an example Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis. These are tiny 0.3mm type Mites (arthropods) which lives on our face! This same moment when you read this article there are tiny animals live on your face. Of course they are harmless, living a symbiotic life. They born, eat, lay eggs and die on our faces. Your face is their sweet home. Fortunately, they are not visible to your naked eyes, and you can forget about the fact they exist once you finish reading this.


The fact they exist on us enlighten us with following factors about life. Rather Awkard.


  1. We share our earth with a lot of other species and our own kind, making our own places to call home, similarly "human body" is just an earth for thousands of species, as a safe palace to live and die, a home.

  2. If you wash your face, you will be violating animal rights.

  3. Eating and maintaining your body will benefit the small world animals who depend on us.


demodex folliculorum

Thank you for reading Home sweet home- Eskimos and microbes -demodex




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