Do Ants Have Hearts?
Yes, ants have hearts. These hearts come in the form of the dorsal vessel. This dorsal vessel is an elongated tube found in the abdomen of ants. It’s a pumping organ that pumps hemolymph throughout the ant’s body.
To be more specific, the ant heart refers to the posterior region of the dorsal vessel.
In this article, we’ll learn more about ant hearts as we discuss the following:
- What is the dorsal vessel?
- The function of the dorsal vessel
- How the dorsal vessel works
- Differences between the dorsal vessel and our hearts
- The ant circulatory system
What is the Dorsal Vessel?
The dorsal vessel is a pumping organ. It comes in the form of an elongated tube that runs throughout the body. It’s commonly found in arthropods like insects and crustaceans. [1]
The dorsal vessel is located just beneath the cuticle, along the inside of the dorsal body wall. It’s typically a fragile, membranous structure that’s segmented into several chambers. These chambers contract rhythmically to propel circulatory fluid.
The Function of the Dorsal Vessel
The main function of the dorsal vessel is to pump and conduct hemolymph forward from the ant’s abdomen to the head. This is to allow the hemolymph to transport nutrients to and waste from the cells in the body.
How Does the Dorsal Vessel Work?
The dorsal vessel consists of parts that ensure the movement of hemolymph in the body. These parts are the heart and aorta.
This heart is a close-ended pumping organ located in the abdomen. It consists of chambers separated by valves called ostia. These valves ensure the one-way flow of circulatory fluid.
Attached to the walls of these chambers are a pair of alary muscles. These muscles contract to push hemolymph forward from one chamber to another. It does so until the hemolymph reaches and emerges from the aorta.
The aorta is a simple, open-ended tube that extends from the thorax to the head. It is where hemolymph emerges to bathe the head organs and muscles.
After the hemolymph bathes the organs and tissues of the body, it flows back to the abdomen. From there, it reenters the dorsal vessel and the process repeats.
Human Heart vs Dorsal Vessel
The human heart and the dorsal vessel differ in structure. Our hearts are complex fist-size organs. It’s composed of 4 chambers, a variety of valves, and a network of veins and arteries. All these parts work together to pump and transport blood.
The dorsal vessel, on the other hand, is a relatively simple elongated tube. It’s essentially just an artery.
This difference in structure characterizes the circulatory systems these organs are found in. Our heart, for example, is part of a closed circulatory system. In contrast, the dorsal vessel is found in open circulatory systems.
In terms of function, hearts and dorsal vessels are similar. They both work to pump circulatory fluid and move it around the body.
The Ant Circulatory System
Ants have an open circulatory system. This is a common system found in invertebrates like insects and other arthropods. [2]
All in all, it’s a simple circulatory system that requires less energy to maintain.
Related Questions
What is the Average Heart Rate of an Ant?
According to research, ants have an average heart rate of 53.5 beats per minute. It varies slightly between ant species. [3]
Do Ants Have Blood?
Ants don’t have blood, they have hemolymph. Hemolymph is a circulatory fluid that facilitates nutrient transfer in the ant body.
See this article to learn more about ant blood.
Do Ants Have Lungs?
Ants don’t have lungs. They’re too small to accommodate lungs. Instead, they have a tracheal respiratory system. This system as the name implies, relies on a network of tubes called the trachea. These tracheae distribute oxygen directly to the cells in the ant’s body.
Read this article to learn more about how ants breathe.
Summary: Do Ants Have Hearts?
To summarize, ants have hearts. Their hearts are called the dorsal vessel. This vessel is an elongated tube that runs throughout their bodies. Like our hearts, it pumps circulatory fluid to allow the transfer of nutrients and waste in the ant body.
