Friends, you would've seen zombies in films a lot. but do you know that there's a fungus that can turns ants into zombies? yes it's right it's known as The Ophiocordyceps fungus. AKA the zombie fungus.

What is Zombie Fungus? Mysteries Facts of Zombie Fungus.

When an ant step on a spore of this fungus, this fungus is sticks to it's body. And stealthily inserts a cell into ant's body. Over next few days, the fungus start eating the ants from the inside. it's cell multiply. From the out side, the ant would look normal, and absolutely healthy. But inside, the fungus keep multiplying.

The fungus continues to grow until it's mass is half the body mass of the ant. after that, it begins the fungal cells send a chemical signals to the ant's brain, making the ant behave unnaturally. The ants leaves the burrow and goes outside, it's starts climbing the first tree it finds. Then it climbs for about 25 cm. Then it bites the first leaf it finds and remains there. The 25 cm height is at the zone where the temperature and humidity is perfect for the fungus to grow.

By this point, the fungus controls the ant's brain entirely. The ant cannot go anywhere of it remain stuck to the leaf. And within 6 hours, it dies. Leaving it's body stuck on the tree, on the leaf, 2 days later a white stalk emerges from the ant's dead body. The fungus gets a place to grow. It uses the ant's dead body as the base to grow and releases more spores into the air, so that more ants could be infected. And then as parasites, they could be turned into zombies, letting the fungus grow.

The good news is no such fungus exists for human till now. Or else these zombie movies might turn into real life someday.

Mysteries Facts of Zombie Fungus.

1. Ophiocordyceps primarily targets specific species of insects, such as ants, caterpillars, and spiders, depending on the strain of the fungus.

2. The infection process begins when fungal spores attach to the exoskeleton of the host insect and germinate, penetrating the body to initiate colonization.

3. Once inside the insect, Ophiocordyceps manipulates its behavior, compelling it to climb to an elevated location where optimal conditions for fungal growth are met.

4. As the fungus continues to grow, it invades the host's tissues, eventually consuming its internal organs and replacing them with fungal matter.

5. Despite the host being deceased, its muscles remain functional under the control of the fungus, allowing it to cling to surfaces and secure its position.

6. Ophiocordyceps employs a variety of chemical signals to coordinate its host's movements, effectively turning it into a puppet under its command.

7. The final stage of the infection involves the growth of a fruiting body from the host's body, which releases spores into the environment, continuing the fungal life cycle.

8. Different strains of Ophiocordyceps exhibit specialized adaptations to target specific host species, showcasing the remarkable diversity within the genus.

9. Scientists have identified over 200 species of Ophiocordyceps, each with its unique ecological niche and preferred hosts.

10. Beyond its macabre nature, Ophiocordyceps has drawn interest from researchers for its potential applications in medicine, including the development of antifungal drugs and biocontrol agents for agricultural pests.

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