Early last week, I discovered a warm layer of densely packed dust blanketing my desk.  Being violently allergic to dust, I began a highly developed and complex procedure in order to get rid of said dust.  Somehow I began to wonder what exactly I was wiping down with a slightly damp (but not wet) towel.  Were they dead skin cells?   Were they the broken husks of dust mites that lived no more? 

http://www.rodale.com/holiday-cleaning?page=0,1

Please allow me to enlighten you on the approximate composition of our most persistent pest, dust.  Using a nickel mesh filter and infrared light, scientist James Coe accidentally discovered the exact composition of a dust particle only a few years back in the mid-2000s.  And the grand answer is: uncertainty.  Dust takes on a huge variety of forms, depending on the environment and what minerals, toxins or particles gather. 

But fear not, because scientists have discovered a general rule for what makes up these fickle particles.  Most of the dust samples in Katherine Cilwa's lab was made up of organic material (skin cells or pollen or whatever is made of carbons and hydrogen in various forms), whereas others had a main component of quartz. 

And as for the skin cells?  Most of human skin comes off in the shower, so precious dust making components are washed down the drain before it gets a chance to collect in all your nooks and crannies.  Speaking of nooks and crannies, let's talk about dust mites. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dust_mite

Contrary to (perhaps popular) belief, dust mites are microscopic, which means we may never have a chance to see these adorable little buggers with our naked eyes.  They are generally harmless, but their numbers are vast (nearly 100,000 can live on one square yard of carpeted floor!).  So what do they do?  Well, dust mites exist off of a steady diet of dead skin cells, and can take a dump at least 20 times a day.  This combination of feces and skin cells cause some allergies.  Something fun to think about next time you crawl into bed, the most common place for dust mites to preside.

Those who are interested in the delicate science of dust particles, kindly Google "dust library" and please believe me when I say I am being 100% sincere.