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NOVA scienceNOW4
Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 50 Location: Boston
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Post subject: Leeches Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:36 am |
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| Just the thought of them may make you squirm, but leeches could help you medically someday, as they have thousands of others. When a leech bites you, it releases several medically beneficial chemicals into your bloodstream: a powerful anticoagulant, which prevents blood from clotting; a vasodilator, which increases blood flow; and a spreading factor, which quickly transports the other two chemicals to where they’re needed. Through “artificial circulation,” leech therapy can help keep someone’s reattached finger or other appendage alive while the patient grows new veins. So… if doctors said such therapy could help you in this kind of situation, would you allow them to attach leeches to your wound? |
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