What can Saliva do?

In science class, we have to do termly magazine reviews. You have to find a magazine article based on anything in science, and write an essay about it. Today when I was typing my report, the article I found was quite interesting to me. It describes how saliva can effect wounds. My essay below is based off the actual article by Karen Wright. It is in order in paragraphs: introduction, summary, opinion, supporting opinion, and conclusion. I hope you enjoy!

Why Wound-Licking Works
Article written by: Karen Wright
Summary below written by: Mieko

You accidentally slide your finger on a sharp corner. Before you know it, your thumb has blood spilling out the side and a pierce of pain shoots through your finger. You squeeze your finger in agony and you desperately run it under some hot water as you look for a band-aid to wrap it in. Would the thought ever run through your mind to lick the wound better? Why would you want to?

According to scientists, your human saliva has healing ability. In the past, it has always been suspected that saliva may be able to heal wounds because any cuts or sores in the mouth heal the quickest and rarely leave scars. Your saliva has simple proteins called histatins that can get rid of and heal infections. Biochemist Menno Oudhoff discovered that histatins have an element in them that closes the skin wound preventing it from any more exposure from infecting bacteria as well. They tested the theory on a needle scratch with the histatins, and the wound healed twice as quicker as it normally would.

I am fascinated by the discovery of the Dutch scientists. I think that this discovery can help greatly for people all over the world. This piece of information is very valuable. The only problem I find is, If you were to actually lick your open wound, wouldn’t you be opening your tongue to the bacterial that infected the wound itself? Are you not supposed to actually lick your skin but just get some of your saliva and apply it to the wound?

Lets say, that you cut your finger across a sharp corner such as in my introduction example. This break through could help in my opinion because you are killing the infection. If you use your saliva, you are closing the wound up so no more bacteria can affect it and you are also making it heal twice as fast as normal. I also have some doubts about this idea. If you literally lick your wound, won’t you be infecting your tongue itself by putting the bacteria from the wound, on your tongue?

So as you can see, saliva is more useful than most people would expect. It can heal wounds at great speed and can help people all over the world. I think I will personally try this scientific break though out myself. How can you put this plan in action? Next time you get a paper cut, lick it better.

TRY THIS OUT, IF YOU DARE! :P