Question

A wound stops bleeding due to the process of clot formation called coagulation. When a mosquito makes a cut on our skin to suck blood, blood doesn't clot. What is the reason for this phenomenon?

• A. Blood is directly taken in from human body to mosquitos mouth without exposure to air
• B. Blood clots primarily and is then again liquefied by mosquito
• C. Mosquito's saliva has an anticoagulant which doesn't allow blood to clot
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Mosquito's saliva has an anticoagulant which doesn't allow blood to clot

• The female mosquitos are hematophagous in nature.
• Their salivary glands have thrombin-directed anticoagulants which prevent the blood from clotting.
  
• They inject their saliva into the human body before they start sucking their blood to prevent any clotting.
  
• So, the correct answer is 'Mosquito's saliva has an anticoagulant which doesn't allow blood to clot'.