So Expensive S1E4: Why Horseshoe Crab Blood Is So Expensive
- Aired: 2018-09-01
- Runtime: 3 minutes
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Overview
Horseshoe crab blood is a vital resource to the medical field. It's unique in more ways than one: the blue color and its ability to identify bacterial contamination in small quantities. Horseshoe crab blood contains a special amebocyte that is separated and then used in FDA testing. There's a lot of questions as to how blood harvesting affects the American horseshoe crab population, but some researchers are dedicated to the cause of protecting such a significant resource.