Use By Humans
Thousands of the horseshoe crabs are caught by local fishermen and fisherwomen. In some areas, the crab is cooked, and the unlaid yellowish roe is eaten. However, some reports show that the crabs are toxic. In addition, horseshoe crabs are prized for their blue blood, as it is widely used in biomedical sciences for the development of drugs for diseases like mental exhaustion and gastroenteritis. The blood contains a chemical called Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) that can be used to detect pathogens and their endotoxins.
Read more about this topic: Mangrove Horseshoe Crab
Famous quotes containing the word humans:
“Because humans are not alone in exhibiting such behavior—bees stockpile royal jelly, birds feather their nests, mice shred paper—it’s possible that a pregnant woman who scrubs her house from floor to ceiling [just before her baby is born] is responding to a biological imperative . . . . Of course there are those who believe that . . . the burst of energy that propels a pregnant woman to clean her house is a perfectly natural response to their mother’s impending visit.”
—Mary Arrigo (20th century)