National Geographic “Mosquitoes.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/mosquitoes/. National

Geographic Partners, LLC, 2018. Web. 23 Oct. 2017

The source is focused on mosquitoes, the disease transmission, bloodsucking, impact on

the ecosystem and population control. Mosquitoes are vectors of some of the world’s deadliest

diseases, such as the Zika Virus and malaria. When sucking blood for their eggs it transmits the

disease. Their diet is blood and nectar, for other animals mosquitoes are on their diet. Efforts to

control the population have little effect.

The American Mosquito Control Association “Life Cycle.”

http://www.mosquito.org/page/lifecycle. Association Headquarters Inc. Web. 3 Jan.

2018

This source explains the life cycle of mosquitoes. The first stage, egg, they on the

surface of the water, laid one at a time. The second stage is the larva, it lives in the water.

Molting four times before transitioning into a pupa. In this stage, the pupa is very similar to

metamorphosis in a butterfly. The pupa emerges from the cocoon into an adult mosquito. As an

adult mosquito they dry on the surface of the water and mate later.

Schneider, David, Samuel. “Battling the Bite: Tradeoffs in Immunity to Insect-Borne

Pathogens.” http://www.cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S1074-7613(16)30211-4. Immunity

44.6 (2016): 1251–1252. Web.

This source describe how the immune system fails to stop the disease transmitted from

the insect and instead spreads the disease. The neutrophil head to the mosquito bite sending off

cytokines. These cytokines attract myeloid cells to the bite, becoming infected too. The cells

travel back into the bloodstream, spreading the disease throughout the body.
Specter, Michael. “How the DNA Revolution is Changing Us.” National Geographic August

2016. Web. 25 Nov. 2017.

This source explains how gene editing is changing our world. At Anthony James’

laboratory using CRISPR Jamescan edit the mosquito larva to no longer carry the parasite. With

CRISPR organisms can carry a specific genetic traits. CRISPR creates a way for scientists to

precisely edit alter and delete genes. CRISPR has the power to change the world for the better,

but there are many unknown possibilities of gene editing. CRISPR cuts the DNA sequence then

places customized genomes. By using CRISPR editing mosquitoes can cause them to almost

inherit the altered gene, causing them to no longer carry the parasite.

Stein, Rob. “To Fight Malaria, Scientists Try Genetic Engineering To Wipe Out Mosquitoes”

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/14/504732533/to-fight-malaria-scienti

sts-try-genetic-engineering-to-wipe-out-mosquitoes. National Public Radio 14 Dec. 2016.

Web. 23 Oct. 2017.

In this source it describes the how people modify mosquitoes with a gene drive. Gene

drive has sequence of DNA almost always inherited by the offspring, being able to modify the

whole population. By CRISPR-cas9 to edit the mosquitoes quickly and precisely, so mosquitoes

may no longer be able to carry malaria.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Zika Virus.” https://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 21 Dec. 2017. Web. 6 Jan. 2018.

The Zika virus is spread by mosquito bites, and through pregnancy from the mother to

fetus. The Zika virus causes headaches, fevers, rashes, muscle pain and in pregnancy

microcephaly. Also, there is no cure for the zika virus, the best way to not get the Zika virus is

to not get bit.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Malaria.” https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/. U.S.

Department of Health & Human Services, 20 Dec. 2017. Web. 6 Jan. 2018.

Malaria is a parasite spread by the anopheles mosquito bite. The parasite life cycle has

two host, a mosquito and human. The mosquito bites the human transmitting the parasite, soon

the parasite invades and infects the human. Symptoms of malaria are fevers, chills, vomiting and

sweating. Malaria can be treated but 3.2 billion are endangered of being infected.