American Grasshopper (Schistocerca Americana)
Grasshoppers have an open circulatory system, such as most arthropods do. The heart of a grasshopper is a series of chambers along the aorta which runs the length of its body. These chambers are separated by valves called ostia. These valves ensure that the blood flows in one direction. The contractions of certain muscles propel blood forward through each chamber of the heart and along the aorta. When their hearts pump blood, the aorta takes it to the head and the blood flows openly. The aorta releases the blood near the brain where it replenishes the organs of the head. The blood finds its way back to the heart through the alimentary canal which also runs the length of the grasshopper's body. Once the blood reaches the abdomen it enters the heart, and the cycle repeats. Their blood transfers food and waste but not oxygen or carbon dioxide thus it is green in color. The blood also contains no hemoglobin which results in a different color. |