The blue blood of horseshoe crabs saves the lives of millions of people

 The blue blood of horseshoe crabs saves the lives of millions of people

The blue blood of horseshoe crabs(Getty)

Five pairs of eyes, a powerful armor like a horse's hoof on its body, and a small tail—almost like a creature from another planet! This is the horseshoe crab, called "Horse Ho Crab" in English.

Scientists say that this species has been roaming the Earth for over 300 million years. That's why it's called a "living fossil."

Once, these crabs had extensive distribution in the sea. However, due to human activities, they are now endangered. To put it simply, they are sacrificing their own lives to protect human life!

But this is not surprising, it's true. The contribution of these crabs behind the scenes of human life-saving defenders is still unparalleled.

To determine how safe a newly discovered medicine or vaccine is for the human body, the blue blood of the horseshoe crab needs to be tested. Unbelievably, the color of this crab's blood is blue when exposed to the air. For several decades, this blue blood has been used in various research laboratories in Europe and America.

For this purpose, millions of horseshoe crabs are captured and sent to various research laboratories in the United States every year. A small part of their heart is cut off and the blood is extracted. Then they are released back into the sea.

To check for any pathogenic bacteria in a discovered drug for a disease, the blue blood of the horseshoe crab is necessary. So far, only the blood of horseshoe crabs can reliably perform this verification task. Because this blood shows a visible reaction to minor chemical changes. Recently, the same process has been followed in the production of the COVID vaccine as well.

Every year, millions of horseshoe crabs are captured in this way, causing damage to their vital organs and extracting blood. The extent of the impact this ruthless process has on them is still unclear.

When this method was first introduced, experts believed that almost all horseshoe crabs remained unharmed after blood collection and were released back into nature. However, recent research has shown that only 30 percent of the blood-collected horseshoe crabs survive. Furthermore, a more disturbing issue is that female horseshoe crabs taken through this process are no longer inclined to reproduce, which increases the likelihood of their decline.

According to information from a conservation group in the United States called New Jersey Nature Society, approximately 500,000 horseshoe crabs' blood is collected in the United States every year. However, no research has been conducted regarding the post-blood collection survival and normal functioning of these horseshoe crabs in nature.

Although statistics from major pharmaceutical companies indicate a stable horseshoe crab population over the past few years, the United States considers horseshoe crabs as a critically important species in close proximity to endangered species.

So, will there never be an alternative? Will this brutality continue indefinitely in the name of saving human lives?

The hope lies in the recent emergence of a synthetic alternative in Europe. However, it has not gained as much confidence in the United States. Moreover, horseshoe crabs are found almost everywhere on the planet. It is because of this abundance that pharmaceutical manufacturers are not currently actively seeking alternatives. However, an alternative has been approved in Europe in 2016, and some institutions in the United States have also joined it.

For environmentalists, the number of horseshoe crabs is the most concerning issue. Because they play a vital role in marine ecosystems. Therefore, to protect biodiversity and meet the needs of human life, reliance on natural resources must be reduced.