The Science Behind Horseshoe Crab Blood Harvesting

What time of year do horseshoe crabs typically come ashore to spawn?

• During the winter

• Only in the spring

• During the warmer months

• All year round

Why are horseshoe crabs harvested by scientists?

• For their meat

• For their shells

• For educational purposes

• For their blood's unique properties

What is the primary use of LAL derived from horseshoe crab blood?

• To study crab genetics

• To create new types of antibiotics

• To detect bacterial endotoxins in medical products

• To enhance human blood

What does the presence of gels in a medicine sample during an LAL test indicate?

• Absence of contaminants

• Presence of bacterial endotoxins

• Effective medicine

• Presence of viruses

How does the horseshoe crab's circulatory system differ from humans?

• Blood flows freely through their body cavity

• Blood is contained in vessels

• It uses hemoglobin to transport oxygen

• It has a closed system

What percentage of horseshoe crabs reportedly die due to blood harvesting?

• Nearly 50%

• Around 25%

• Up to 15%

• About 5%

What evolutionary event did horseshoe crabs survive?

• The rise of mammals

• Mass extinction events that killed off the dinosaurs

• The Ice Age

• The formation of continents

What is a major threat to horseshoe crab populations today?

• Global warming

• Predation by marine animals

• Ocean acidification

• Human activities like harvesting for medical purposes

Why is the horseshoe crab's immune system highly sensitive?

• Due to their open circulatory system

• Because they live in clean waters

• They are immune to most bacteria

• They have a strong genetic mutation

What is being developed to potentially reduce reliance on natural horseshoe crab blood?

• A vaccine for endotoxins

• Genetically modified horseshoe crabs

• Synthetic alternatives of their blood

• Artificial blood vessels