Why is salt considered as a poison for leeches?
Whenever we see a leech on anyone’s body, first thing that we think of is the advice we had got, to sprinkle some salt on the leechβ¦but have to ever thought that why do we sprinkle salt?
People have been using salt for years to preserve food because of its ability to draw water out of cell membranes. This is why salt is so damaging to leeches. It does the same thing to leeches also. The body of leeches is made with 80% water that is covered with a porous skin. With its porous and sponge-like body it can absorb our blood and many other things like salts. So, when we sprinkle salt on leeches then the salt gets in through the porous membrane and mixes with the water in their body. Then slowly all the water in their body gets salty and they can not survive with salty water so they throw out the water of their body . And eventually they die due to dehydration because of the occurrence of exosmosis.
So now you know the reason why you were told to put salt on leeches:)
FUN FACT ABOUT LEECHES:
1)They are also used by doctor to treat blood clot.
2)Leeches have suckers on both ends of their body for sucking blood. Most species have three jaws equipped with small, sharp teeth. Their teeth are even able to pierce thick skin of a hippopotamus.
3)Leech has 32 brains. The internal structure is segregated into 32 separate segments and each of these segments has its own brain.
Mahek Mehta
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