Alligators often engage in violent fights over territories and mates, and scientists have puzzled over why their wounds rarely get infected.
Now researchers think the secret lies in the reptiles’ blood. Chemists in Louisiana found that blood from the American alligator can successfully destroy 23 strains of bacteria, including strains known to be resistant to antibiotics.
In addition, the blood was able to deplete and destroy a significant amount of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. » Read more: Alligator Blood May Lead to Powerful New Antibiotics (Part I)
