How brain parasites change their host's behavior - Jaap de Roode
4,675,902 Views
15,397 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
The biggest challenge in a parasite’s life is to move from one host to another. Intriguingly, many parasites have evolved the ability to manipulate the behavior of their hosts to improve their own survival -- sometimes even by direct brain control. Jaap de Roode details a few parasites that can really mess with the mind.
Some researchers have suggested that Toxoplasma makes rats attracted to cats by increasing dopamine levels in the rat brain. Design an experiment to test this hypothesis.
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Jaap de Roode
- Animation Artist Andrew Foerster
- Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
- Narrator Addison Anderson
