{"id":2465,"date":"2022-04-03T14:39:51","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T06:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2465"},"modified":"2023-04-28T08:16:19","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T00:16:19","slug":"do-ants-have-lungs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Ants Have Lungs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>No, ants do not have lungs. They are too small to accommodate lungs and a respiratory system similar to ours. Instead, they breathe through a tracheal respiratory system.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll learn more about the ant respiratory system as we discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>What are lungs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How ants breathe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why ants don&#8217;t have lungs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-lungs-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"do ants have lungs\" class=\"wp-image-3381\" width=\"787\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-lungs-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-lungs-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-lungs-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-lungs-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/shammiknr-15824084\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4998141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">shammiknr<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4998141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#What_Are_Lungs\" title=\"What Are Lungs?\">What Are Lungs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#How_Do_Ants_Breathe\" title=\"How Do Ants Breathe?\">How Do Ants Breathe?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Why_Dont_Ants_Have_Lungs\" title=\"Why Don&#8217;t Ants Have Lungs?\">Why Don&#8217;t Ants Have Lungs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Related_Questions\" title=\"Related Questions\">Related Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Do_Ants_Need_Oxygen\" title=\"Do Ants Need Oxygen?\">Do Ants Need Oxygen?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Can_Ants_Suffocate\" title=\"Can Ants Suffocate?\">Can Ants Suffocate?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Can_Ants_Breathe_Underwater\" title=\"Can Ants Breathe Underwater?\">Can Ants Breathe Underwater?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Do_Ants_Have_Blood\" title=\"Do Ants Have Blood?\">Do Ants Have Blood?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/#Summary_Do_Ants_Have_Lungs\" title=\"Summary: Do Ants Have Lungs?\">Summary: Do Ants Have Lungs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Lungs\"><\/span>What Are Lungs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The lungs are a pair of vital organs in the respiratory system of vertebrates<\/strong>. They&#8217;re responsible for bringing fresh oxygen in, and carbon dioxide waste out, of the body. Simply put, the lungs allow for gas exchange and respiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ants_Breathe\"><\/span>How Do Ants Breathe?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants breathe through a <strong>tracheal system<\/strong>. As the name implies, this system consists of a network of tubes called trachea. These tubes deliver oxygen directly to the cells of their bodies.\u00a0[<a href=\"https:\/\/genent.cals.ncsu.edu\/bug-bytes\/respiratory-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/genent.cals.ncsu.edu\/bug-bytes\/respiratory-system\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this system, the air enters and exits the ant&#8217;s body through tiny holes called spiracles. These holes allow for the passive diffusion of gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-3-1024x791.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2300\" width=\"787\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-3-1024x791.png 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-3-300x232.png 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-3-768x593.png 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-3.png 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Gerontoformica_contegus_Plos_One_e93627_Fig_1_D.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Barden &amp; Gri<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Gerontoformica_contegus_Plos_One_e93627_Fig_1_D.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">maldi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of these spiracles connects to tracheae which branch across the ant&#8217;s body. Again, these tracheae deliver oxygen straight to the cells. They <strong>cut off the need for a circulatory system <\/strong>that facilitates gas transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of these branches are special cells called tracheoles. This is where oxygen is dissolved and diffused into the adjacent cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carbon dioxide goes through the same process but in reverse. It diffuses out of the cell, goes through tracheae, and is released through the spiracles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Dont_Ants_Have_Lungs\"><\/span>Why Don&#8217;t Ants Have Lungs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants don\u2019t have lungs because they never had the evolutionary need to grow them.\u00a0 A tracheal system provides them an energy-efficient and passive way means to respire. <strong>Growing lungs will just cost them an immense amount of energy and resources.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants are also <strong>too small to accommodate lungs<\/strong> and all the necessary parts that come along with them. For one, ants don&#8217;t have a compatible circulatory system for gas transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, a theory suggests that ants may be small because of the tracheal system. This theory states that oxygen intake is directly proportional to insect size. Meaning, the higher the oxygen intake, the larger the insect. With this, <strong>the tracheal system limits the growth of ants<\/strong> as they can&#8217;t take in large doses of oxygen. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2880098\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2880098\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there\u2019s somewhat of a chicken and egg scenario. In order to grow bigger, ants may need to grow lungs or at least develop their current respiratory system. But to do so, they should also be big enough to accommodate the necessary changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Questions\"><\/span>Related Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-2-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"how do ants breathe\" class=\"wp-image-2301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-2-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-2-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/how-do-ants-breathe-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/overo-8771598\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3361688\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Overo<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3361688\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Need_Oxygen\"><\/span>Do Ants Need Oxygen?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, ants do need oxygen. As animals, ants respire aerobically and <strong>need oxygen to fuel their metabolic processes<\/strong>. Without it, their cells become deprived of energy and eventually die.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Ants_Suffocate\"><\/span>Can Ants Suffocate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely for ants to suffocate under normal conditions.&nbsp; As long as there&#8217;s oxygen they can simply rely on the passive diffusion of gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, <strong>they can suffocate if their spiracles get blocked<\/strong>. Soapy water and insecticides, for example, prevent the intake of oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Ants_Breathe_Underwater\"><\/span>Can Ants Breathe Underwater?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No, ants can\u2019t breathe underwater. <strong>Water clogs their spiracles<\/strong> and they can&#8217;t take in oxygen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Have_Blood\"><\/span>Do Ants Have Blood?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants don\u2019t have blood. Instead, <strong>they have hemolymph<\/strong>, a circulatory fluid found in invertebrates. This fluid serves as the medium of transport for hormones and nutrients. Unlike blood, it does not contain red blood cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-attracted-to-blood\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2483\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ant circulatory system<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_Do_Ants_Have_Lungs\"><\/span>Summary: Do Ants Have Lungs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, no ants do not have lungs. Due to their size, ants aren\u2019t able to accommodate lungs and a respiratory system like ours. Instead, they have a tracheal respiratory system. This system uses spiracles and tracheal branches that extend throughout their bodies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These branches can directly deliver oxygen to the cells. They bypass the need for a transport system. Furthermore, the tracheal respiratory system also relies on passive diffusion. Therefore, it&#8217;s overall an energy-efficient way to respire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No, ants do not have lungs. They are too small to accommodate lungs and a respiratory system similar to ours. Instead, they breathe through a tracheal respiratory system.&nbsp; In this article, we&#8217;ll learn more about the ant respiratory system as we discuss the following: What Are Lungs? The lungs are a pair of vital organs&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2465"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}