Grasshopper Circulatory System: A Fascinating Adaptation of Nature
What is true of the circulatory system of a grasshopper?
A. One or more muscular chamber hearts drive blood through the closed circulatory system of the grasshopper.
B. The grasshopper has an open circulatory system with a heart that is a peristaltic vessel.
C. Because the grasshopper has an open circulatory system, the maximum hemolymph pressures that can be achieved are relatively low, which limits the maximum metabolic rate that can be achieved.
D. The grasshopper does not have a specialized circulatory system - instead, its circulatory system consists of the fluid in the body cavity which is circulated by means of the body movements of the animal.
E. Both B and C are true of the circulatory system of the grasshopper.
Answer:
Grasshoppers have an open circulatory system where their heart acts as a peristaltic vessel. The hemolymph (blood) circulates around the organs and reenters the heart. This system limits the maximum metabolic rates due to lower maximum hemolymph pressures.
Grasshoppers, like most arthropods, have an open circulatory system, a remarkable adaptation of nature. Unlike closed circulatory systems found in humans, grasshoppers' circulatory system involves the hemolymph (blood) being pumped into a body cavity called hemocoel by an elongated heart that functions as a peristaltic vessel.
The hemolymph flows around the organs within the body cavity and reenters the heart through openings called ostia. This unique circulatory system design results in relatively lower maximum hemolymph pressures, which in turn limits the maximum metabolic rates that can be achieved in grasshoppers.
This fascinating biological mechanism showcases the intricate ways in which organisms have evolved to thrive in their environments. Understanding the grasshopper's circulatory system sheds light on the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.