{"id":2491,"date":"2022-04-04T01:01:06","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T17:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2491"},"modified":"2023-05-01T04:28:24","modified_gmt":"2023-04-30T20:28:24","slug":"do-ants-have-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-hearts\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Ants Have Hearts?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>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&#8217;s a pumping organ that pumps hemolymph throughout the ant&#8217;s body.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be more specific, the ant heart refers to the posterior region of the dorsal vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll learn more about ant hearts as we discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>What is the dorsal vessel?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The function of the dorsal vessel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How the dorsal vessel works<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Differences between the dorsal vessel and our hearts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ant circulatory system<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"do ants have hearts\" class=\"wp-image-3391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/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-hearts\/#What_is_the_Dorsal_Vessel\" title=\"What is the Dorsal Vessel?\">What is the Dorsal Vessel?<\/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-hearts\/#The_Function_of_the_Dorsal_Vessel\" title=\"The Function of the Dorsal Vessel\">The Function of the Dorsal Vessel<\/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-hearts\/#How_Does_the_Dorsal_Vessel_Work\" title=\"How Does the Dorsal Vessel Work?\">How Does the Dorsal Vessel Work?<\/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-hearts\/#Human_Heart_vs_Dorsal_Vessel\" title=\"Human Heart vs Dorsal Vessel\">Human Heart vs Dorsal Vessel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-hearts\/#The_Ant_Circulatory_System\" title=\"The Ant Circulatory System\">The Ant Circulatory System<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-hearts\/#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-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-hearts\/#What_is_the_Average_Heart_Rate_of_an_Ant\" title=\"What is the Average Heart Rate of an Ant?\">What is the Average Heart Rate of an Ant?<\/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-hearts\/#Do_Ants_Have_Blood\" title=\"Do Ants Have Blood?\">Do Ants Have Blood?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-hearts\/#Do_Ants_Have_Lungs\" title=\"Do Ants Have Lungs?\">Do Ants Have Lungs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-hearts\/#Summary_Do_Ants_Have_Hearts\" title=\"Summary: Do Ants Have Hearts?\">Summary: Do Ants Have Hearts?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Dorsal_Vessel\"><\/span>What is the Dorsal Vessel?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The dorsal vessel is a <strong>pumping organ<\/strong>. It comes in the form of an elongated tube that runs throughout the body. It&#8217;s commonly found in arthropods like insects and crustaceans.\u00a0[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndsu.edu\/pubweb\/~rider\/Pentatomoidea\/Teaching%20Structure\/Lecture%20Notes\/Week%2013a%20Circulatory%20System.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.ndsu.edu\/pubweb\/~rider\/Pentatomoidea\/Teaching%20Structure\/Lecture%20Notes\/Week%2013a%20Circulatory%20System.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dorsal vessel is located just beneath the cuticle, along the inside of the dorsal body wall. It&#8217;s typically a fragile, membranous structure that&#8217;s segmented into several chambers. These chambers contract rhythmically to propel circulatory fluid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Function_of_the_Dorsal_Vessel\"><\/span>The Function of the Dorsal Vessel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The main function of the dorsal vessel is to pump and conduct hemolymph forward from the ant\u2019s abdomen to the head.<\/strong> This is to allow the hemolymph to transport nutrients to and waste from the cells in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_the_Dorsal_Vessel_Work\"><\/span>How Does the Dorsal Vessel Work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The dorsal vessel consists of <strong>parts that ensure the movement of hemolymph<\/strong> in the body. These parts are the heart and aorta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This heart is a close-ended pumping organ located in the abdomen. It consists of chambers separated by valves called ostia. These valves <strong>ensure the one-way flow of circulatory fluid<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attached to the walls of these chambers are a pair of alary muscles. <strong>These muscles contract to push hemolymph<\/strong> forward from one chamber to another. It does so until the hemolymph reaches and emerges from the aorta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Human_Heart_vs_Dorsal_Vessel\"><\/span>Human Heart vs Dorsal Vessel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts.jpg 640w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/do-ants-have-hearts-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@neonbrand?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">NeONBRAND<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Unsplash<\/a>   <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The human heart and the dorsal vessel <strong>differ in structure<\/strong>. Our hearts are complex fist-size organs. It&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dorsal vessel, on the other hand, is a relatively simple elongated tube. It&#8217;s essentially just an artery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In terms of function, hearts and dorsal vessels are similar.<\/strong> They both work to pump circulatory fluid and move it around the body.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Ant_Circulatory_System\"><\/span>The Ant Circulatory System<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants have an <strong>open circulatory system<\/strong>. This is a common system found in invertebrates like insects and other arthropods. [<a href=\"https:\/\/genent.cals.ncsu.edu\/bug-bytes\/circulatory-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/genent.cals.ncsu.edu\/bug-bytes\/circulatory-system\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, it&#8217;s a simple circulatory system that requires less energy to maintain.<\/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\/04\/are-ants-attracted-to-blood-2-1-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"are ants attracted to blood\" class=\"wp-image-2487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/are-ants-attracted-to-blood-2-1-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/are-ants-attracted-to-blood-2-1-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/are-ants-attracted-to-blood-2-1-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/are-ants-attracted-to-blood-2-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@salijareer?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">MD_JERRY<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/s\/photos\/red-ant?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Unsplash<\/a>   <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Average_Heart_Rate_of_an_Ant\"><\/span>What is the Average Heart Rate of an Ant?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to research, ants have an average heart rate of<strong> 53.5 beats per minute<\/strong>. It varies slightly between ant species. [<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/eea.13071\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/eea.13071\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/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, <strong>they have hemolymph<\/strong>. Hemolymph is a\u00a0circulatory fluid that facilitates nutrient transfer in the ant body.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-blood\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2475\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ant blood<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Have_Lungs\"><\/span>Do Ants Have Lungs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants don\u2019t have lungs. They&#8217;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&#8217;s body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-lungs\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2465\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how ants breathe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_Do_Ants_Have_Hearts\"><\/span>Summary: Do Ants Have Hearts?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217;s a pumping organ that pumps hemolymph throughout the ant&#8217;s body. To be more specific, the ant heart refers to the posterior region of the dorsal vessel. In&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3391,"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\/2491"}],"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=2491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}