this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2024
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Science Memes

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fwiends (mander.xyz)
submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 45 points 3 months ago (5 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demodex

My fave parts (edited for brevity):

The adult mites are 0.3–0.4 mm (3⁄256–1⁄64 in) long. Each has a semitransparent, elongated body that consists of two fused parts. Eight short, segmented legs are attached to the first body segment. The body is covered with scales for anchoring itself in the hair follicle, and the mite has pin-like mouthparts for eating skin cells and oils that accumulate in the hair follicles.

... and ...

The mites are transferred between hosts through contact with hair, eyebrows, and the sebaceous glands of the face.

Ohhh good.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Wait, 0.3mm is huge, you should be able to see that. I don't think this is right.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

Maybe we do see them, but mistake them for bits of skin or dirt.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Agreed. 1/64th of an inch is .016". An average human hair is .003" in diameter, that would be as long as five hairs wide. You wouldn't even need a magnifier to see the largest ones.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Combine the size with the fact that they are semi transparent and live in hair follicles and sebaceous glands, both of which are essentially under the skin, and that's why you don't generally see them.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

3⁄256

Who uses inches at this scale? I mean, really, Wikipedia.

"Hand me my 1/256th inch ruler." --nobody

[–] brown567 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I learned recently that machinists used to use fractions to indicate tolerance, like a dimension given as 5/16 could be ±1/32 of an inch, because anything less than 9/32 would round to 4/16, and anything more than 11/32 to 6/16.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

It can still happen, but usually at the customer's request/requirements. We actually use inches at a much smaller scale, but use decimals instead of fractions.

[–] Classy 4 points 3 months ago

3⁄256

Please don't let the Amish at my work know that such small increments of size exist. They'll ask me to cut my trim to that level of tolerance

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

This is why it's okay to make out with randos at parties and such. You get mono for 6 months plus accretion of zillions of new friends.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

mouthparts

Josh & Chuck just got a tingle down their spines