TAinsect.

notebook

April05,2016

Internalstructureofaninsect.

Homework.
Addashortdescriptiontoeachlabeltoexplainwhatitdoes.

Wearelearning:
Thefunctionandlocationtherespiratory,circulatory,excretory,reproductiveand
nervoussystemsinaninsect.
Thedifferencesbetweeninsectandvertebrateinternalsystems.
Thecrosssectionaldiagramofaninsect.(pg66)

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Apr410:17

Circulatorysystemoftheinsect.

Task1.
Lookaroundtheroom,workinginpairs,gathertheinformationoneachpartofthe
insectandinnoteform,includeitonyourdiagram.
Onepersonwrites,theotherpersonspeaks.

Apr410:43

Insectsdon'thaveveinsorarteries,buttheydohavecirculatorysystems.Whenblood
ismovedwithouttheaidofvessels,theorganismhasanopencirculatorysystem.
Insectblood,properlycalledhemolymph,flowsfreelythroughthebodycavityand
makesdirectcontactwithorgansandtissues.
Asinglebloodvesselrunsalongthedorsalsideoftheinsect,fromtheheadtothe
abdomen.Intheabdomen,thevesseldividesintochambersandfunctionsastheinsect
heart(14).
Perforationsintheheartwall,calledostia,allowhemolymphtoenterthechambers
fromthebodycavity.Musclecontractionspushthehemolymphfromonechamberto
thenext,movingitforwardtowardthethoraxandhead.Inthethorax,thebloodvessel
isnotchambered.Likeanaorta(7),thevesselsimplydirectstheflowofhemolymphto
thehead.
Insectbloodisonlyabout10%hemocytes(bloodcells)mostofthehemolymphis
wateryplasma.Theinsectcirculationsystemdoesnotcarryoxygen,sotheblooddoes
notcontainredbloodcellsasoursdoes.Hemolymphisusuallygreenoryellowincolor

Apr410:33

Digestivesystem
Nervoussystemoftheinsect

Theinsectnervoussystemconsistsprimarilyofabrain(5),locateddorsallyinthe
head,andanervecord(19)thatrunsventrallythroughthethoraxandabdomen.
Theinsectbrainisafusionofthreepairsofganglia,eachsupplyingnervesfor
specificfunctions.Thefirstpair,calledtheprotocerebrum,connectstothe
compoundeyes(4)andtheocelli(2,3)andcontrolsvision.Thedeutocerebrum
innervatestheantennae(1).
Thethirdpair,thetritocerebrum,controlsthelabrum,andalsoconnectsthebrainto
therestofthenervoussystem.
Belowthebrain,anothersetoffusedgangliaformsthesubesopaghealganglion(31).
Nervesfromthisganglioncontrolmostofthemouthparts,thesalivaryglands,and
theneckmuscles.
Thecentralnervecordconnectsthebrainandsubesophagealganglionwith
additionalganglioninthethoraxandabdomen.Threepairsofthoracicganglia(28)
innervatethelegs,wings,andmusclesthatcontrollocomotion.
Abdominalgangliainnervatethemusclesoftheabdomen,thereproductiveorgans,
theanus,andanysensoryreceptorsattheposteriorendoftheinsect.
Aseparatebutconnectednervoussystemcalledthestomodaealnervoussystem
innervatesmostofthebody'svitalorgans.Gangliainthissystemcontrolfunctions
ofthedigestiveandcirculatorysystems.Nervesfromthetritocerebrumconnecttoa
gangliaontheesophagusadditionalnervesfromthisgangliaattachtothegutand
heart.

Apr410:22

Theinsectdigestivesystemisaclosedsystem,withonelongenclosedtube
(alimentarycanal)runninglengthwisethroughthebody.Thealimentary
canalisaonewaystreetfoodentersthemouthandgetsprocessedasit
travelstowardtheanus.Eachofthethreesectionsofthealimentarycanal
performsadifferentprocessofdigestion.
Thesalivaryglands(30)producesaliva,whichtravelsthroughsalivary
tubesintothemouth.
Salivamixeswithfoodandbeginstheprocessofbreakingitdown.
Thefirstsectionofthealimentarycanalistheforegut(27)orstomodaeum.
Intheforegut,initialbreakdownoflargefoodparticlesoccurs,mostlyby
saliva.TheforegutincludestheBuccalcavity,theesophagus,andthecrop,
whichstoresfoodbeforeitpassestothemidgut.
Oncefoodleavesthecrop,itpassestothemidgut(13)ormesenteron.The
midgutiswheredigestionreallyhappens,throughenzymaticaction.
Microscopicprojectionsfromthemidgutwall,calledmicrovilli,increase
surfaceareaandallowformaximumabsorptionofnutrients.
Inthehindgut(16)orproctodaeum,undigestedfoodparticlesjoinuricacid
fromMalphigiantubulestoformfecalpellets.Therectumabsorbsmostof
thewaterinthiswastematter,andthedrypelletistheneliminatedthrough
theanus(17).

Apr410:33

TAinsect.notebook

April05,2016
Respiratorysystem.

Reproductivesystemoftheinsect

Insectsrequireoxygenjustaswedo,andmust"exhale"carbondioxide,awasteproduct
ofcellularrespiration.Oxygenisdeliveredtothecellsdirectlythroughrespiration,and
notcarriedbybloodasinvertebrates.
Alongthesidesofthethoraxandabdomen,arowofsmallopeningscalledspiracles(8)
allowtheintakeofoxygenfromtheair.Mostinsectshaveonepairofspiraclesperbody
segment.
Smallflapsorvalveskeepthespiraclecloseduntilthereisaneedforoxygenuptakeand
carbondioxidedischarge.Whenthemusclescontrollingthevalvesrelax,thevalvesopen
andtheinsecttakesabreath.
Onceenteringthroughthespiracle,oxygentravelsthroughthetrachealtrunk(8),which
dividesintosmallertrachealtubes.Thetubescontinuetodivide,creatingabranching
networkthatreacheseachcellinthebody.Carbondioxidereleasedfromthecellfollows
thesamepathwaybacktothespiraclesandoutofthebody.
Mostofthetrachealtubesarereinforcedbytaenidia,ridgesthatrunspirallyaroundthe
tubestokeepthemfromcollapsing.Insomeareas,however,therearenotaenidia,andthe
tubefunctionsasanairsaccapableofstoringair.
Inaquaticinsects,theairsacsenablethemto"holdtheirbreath"whileunderwater.They
simplystoreairuntiltheysurfaceagain.Insectsindryclimatesmayalsostoreairand
keeptheirspiraclesclosed,topreventwaterintheirbodiesfromevaporating.
Someinsectsforcefullyblowairfromtheairsacsandoutthespiracleswhenthreatened,
makinganoiseloudenoughtostartleapotentialpredatororcuriousperson.

Thisdiagramshowsthefemalereproductivesystem.Femaleinsectshave
twoovaries(15),eachcomprisedofnumerousfunctionalchamberscalled
ovarioles(seenwithintheovaryinthediagram).Eggproductiontakesplace
intheovarioles.Eggarethenreleasedintotheoviduct.Thetwolateral
oviducts,oneforeachovary,joinatthecommonoviduct(18).Thefemale
ovipositsfertilizedeggswithherovipositor(notpictured).

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Apr410:37

Excretorysystem.

TheMalpighiantubules(20)workwiththeinsecthindguttoexcretenitrogenous
wasteproducts.Thisorganemptiesdirectlyintothealimentarycanal,andconnects
atthejunctionbetweenthemidgutandhindgut.Thetubulesthemselvesvaryin
number,fromjusttwoinsomeinsectstoover100inothers.Likearmsofan
octopus,theMalpighiantubulesextendthroughouttheinsect'sbody.
WasteproductsfromthehemolymphdiffuseintotheMalpighiantubules,andare
thenconvertedtouricacid.
Thesemisolidifiedwasteemptiesintothehindgut,andbecomespartofthefecal
pellet.
Thehindgut(16)alsoplaysaroleinexcretion.Theinsectrectumretains90%ofthe
waterpresentinthefecalpellet,andreabsorbsitbackintothebody.Thisfunction
allowsinsectstosurviveandthriveineventhemostaridclimates.

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Apr410:15

Tasks:

Tasks:

Usingyourknowledge,comparethefollowingpropertiesofinsectswiththoseof
vertebratesinatable:

Usingyourknowledge,comparethefollowingpropertiesofinsectswiththoseof
vertebratesinatable:

Eyes,Circulation(Blutkreislauf),Blood,Gasexchange(Gasaustausch),
Nervoussystem

Eyes,Circulation(Blutkreislauf),Blood,Gasexchange(Gasaustausch),
Nervoussystem

Insect

Vertebrate

Insect

Eyes

Eyes

Circulation

Circulation

Blood

Blood

Gasexchange

Gasexchange

Nervoussystem

Nervoussystem

Mrz514:51

Compoundeyes

open
doesnottransport
O2

Trachea

Vertebrate
Lenseyes
closed
doestransportO2

Lungs

Headganglia,ventral

Spinalcord(dorsal)brain,

nervecord,decentralised

centralised.

Mrz514:51

TAinsect.notebook

April05,2016

Frompg66oftheNatura8book,completeadiagramofacrosssectionofa

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Apr415:25

TheInternalAnatomyof
anInsect

Theinternalorgansofinsects,likethoseofotheranimals,aregroupedinto
varioussystems.Butthesesystemsdifferinmanywaysfromthoseofother
animals.Thechiefsystemsarethecirculatory,respiratory,nervous,muscular,
digestive,andreproductive.

CirculatorySystem Aninsect'sblooddoesnotflowthroughveinsandarteries
asoursdoes.Bloodfillsthewholecavityoftheinsect'sbody,andbathesallthe
organsandmuscles.Thebloodiscirculatedbyalongtubethatliesjustunderthe
exoskeletonoftheback.Thistubeextendsalmosttheentirelengthofthebody.
Thepumpingpartofthetubeliesintheabdomen,andiscalledtheheart .The
frontpartofthetubeextendsintothehead,andiscalledtheaorta .Bloodenters
thetubethroughlittleopenings,calledostia,alongthesides.Theopeningshave
valvesthatallowbloodtoenterthetube,butnottoflowout.Astheheart
contracts,thebloodisforcedalongthetubeandoutthroughtheaorta.Theblood
firstbathesthebrain,andthenflowstootherpartsofthebody.Itthenreenters
thetubethroughtheostia.
Unlikeourblood,aninsect'sbloodhaslittletodowithbringingoxygentothe
cells.Insectbloodisgreenish,yellowish,orcolorless.Fewinsectshavered
blood.
RespiratorySystem Aninsectbreathesbymeansoftinyholes,called
spiracles ,alongthesidesofitsbody.Eachholeleadsintoalargetubecalleda
trachea .Thelargetubesdivideintosmalltubes,which,inturn,divideintostill
smallertubesthatbranchouttoallthecellsofthebody.Thissystemoftubes
carriesoxygentothecellsandtakesawaycarbondioxide.
NervousSystem consistsofabrain,locatedinthehead,andtwonervecords
thatliesidebysidealongthefloorofthethoraxandabdomen.Thebrainreceives
informationfromtheeyesandantennae,andcontrolstheinsect'sbodyactivities
asawhole.Anothernervecenterintheheadisconnectedtothebrainand
controlstheinsect'smouthparts<mouth.htm>.Eachofthetwonervecords
containsaclusterofnervecells,calledaganglion,ineachsegmentofthethorax
andabdomen.Thetwogangliaineachsegmentarefusedandformasortoflittle
brainthatcontrolstheactivitiesofthatsegment.Thegangliaoftencanwork
withoutthebrain.Forexample,manyinsectsthathavehadtheirheadscutoffcan
stillwalk,mate,andlayeggs.Insomeinsects,thethreepairsofgangliainthe
thoraxarefusedintoone.Variouspairsofgangliaintheabdomenarealsofused
inmanyinsects.
MuscularSystem ismadeupofseveralhundredtoafewthousandsmallbut
verystrongmuscles.Grasshoppershaveabout900muscles,andcaterpillars
havefrom2,000to4,000.Bycontrast,manhasfewerthan700muscles.Many
insectscanliftorpullanobject20ormoretimesheavierthantheweightoftheir
bodies.Fewmencanliftaweightheavierthantheweightoftheirbodies.
DigestiveSystem ofaninsectconsistsbasicallyofalongtubethatextendsfrom
themouthtotheanus.Thetubehasthreemaindivisions:(1)theforegut(2)the
midgut,orstomach(3)thehindgut,orintestine.
Afterfoodhasbeenchewedorsuckedupbythemouthparts,itentersthe
foregutthroughthemouth.Thefoodmovesalongthetubeuntilitreachesan
enlargedareacalledthecrop,whereitistemporarilystoredandpartlydigested.
Thenthefoodpassesintothegizzard,whichhasthickmuscularwallsthat
contractandgrindthefoodintosmallbits.Thegizzardofsomeinsectshasteeth
thathelpbreakupandgrindthefood.Thefoodnextpassesintothemidgut,
wheremostdigestiontakesplace.Nourishingpartsofthefoodareabsorbedinto
theblood,andwastesandundigestedpartsmoveintothehindgut.
Insectshaveasystemof2toover150malpighiantubesattachedtothe
digestivesystemwherethemidgutandhindgutjoin.Thetubesfloatintheblood
andabsorbwastematerials,whichthenpassthroughthetubesintothehindgut.
Allwastesandextrawaterthatenterthehindgutleavethebodythroughtheanus.
ReproductiveSystem Mostinsectsreproducesexually.Thatis,anew
individualcanbecreatedonlyafterafemalesexcell(egg)hasunitedwithamale
sexcell(sperm).Thereproductiveorgansareintheabdomen.Femaleshavetwo
organs,calledovaries,inwhicheggsdevelop.Atubecalledanoviductcarries
theeggsawayfromeachovary.Thetwooviductsjoinandformasingletubethat
opensnearthetipoftheabdomen.Maleinsectshavetwoorgans,calledtestes,
thatproducesperm.Atubecarriesthespermfromeachtestis.Thetwotubes
uniteandformasingletubethatextendstotheoutsideoftheabdomen.

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