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3: Mind Controlling Parasites, Are Elephants Right Handed, and Naruto AMVs

Let's Learn Everything!

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Is Toxoplasma Gondi Overriding Neophobia?

Mice are naturally neophobic, so they're avoidant and afraid of anything new and unfamiliar. But toxoplasma gondi is overriding this by forming cysts in regions of the brain that process fear and decision-making. It's thought to achieve this by increasing levels of dopamine in the brain, which is involved in risk-taking. This has now been found in fungi, in bacteria, in viruses, in worms, right? That one is a kind of a worm. If we circle back to just cordy zepsilone, there are like, what, hundreds of species that do this? There's a whole, whole big world.

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