The value of Horseshoe Crab blood to the medical field can be understood because one gallon costs US$60,000.

 

The blue blood of the Horseshoe Crab is worth $60,000 a gallon

The blue blood of the horseshoe crab, which is said to be around 450 million years old, does not contain hemoglobin, which gives the blood its unique color.

The value of Horseshoe Crab blood to the medical field can be understood because one gallon costs US$60,000.

The benefit of the horseshoe crab's blue blood is that the cells in the crab's blood contain important immune cells that are particularly sensitive to toxic bacteria in the body.

When those cells encounter invading bacteria, they form clots around them and protect the rest of the crab's body from the toxic bacteria. Their blood has been used for disease prevention since 1970.

It is used to produce vaccines and medicines to protect people from all kinds of bacterial diseases, including measles.

Every year, thousands of horseshoe crabs are artificially reared and collected for blood collection.