What If We Killed All the Mosquitoes?

The video discusses the challenges and potential ecological impacts of eradicating mosquitoes, which transmit diseases like malaria, yellow fever, and Zika. It highlights the difficulty of eliminating all mosquito species and the importance of targeted control strategies. Innovative research includes genetic modification and bacterial methods to reduce disease transmission without harming ecosystems.

What are some of the ecological roles mosquitoes play in certain regions?

• They are essential for the pollination of desert plants.

• They help in the decomposition of organic matter.

• They are a major food source for migrating birds in the Arctic.

• They are primary pollinators of tropical plants.

Which mosquito species is primarily targeted due to its role in spreading multiple diseases?

• Culiseta longiareolata

• Aedes aegypti

• Culex pipiens

• Anopheles gambiae

What is the purpose of genetically modifying mosquitoes in recent experiments?

• To increase their lifespan

• To make them resistant to insecticides

• To prevent them from transmitting diseases

• To enhance their ability to pollinate plants

How does the bacterium Wolbachia help in controlling mosquito-borne diseases?

• It enhances the mosquitoes' ability to transmit diseases.

• It makes mosquitoes more susceptible to insecticides.

• It prevents viruses from growing inside mosquitoes.

• It kills mosquitoes before they reach adulthood.

What is a potential risk associated with using Wolbachia to control viruses in mosquitoes?

• The creation of more aggressive mosquito species

• The development of viruses resistant to Wolbachia

• The extinction of non-target mosquito species

• The increase in mosquito population