Does a Cockroach Have a Heart?

The heart of a cockroach is a tube that runs the length of its body. It is made up of 13 chambers. These chambers open into a slit-like opening called an ostium, which helps circulate oxygenated blood. Cockroaches do not have lungs, so their heart is much more efficient.

Researchers have studied the extracardiac control of the cockroach heart. In addition to the vegetative nervous system, cockroaches have segmental nerves that send excitatory and inhibitory influences to the heart. This activity can be controlled by the central nervous system and may influence the amplitude of heartbeats.

The heart of a cockroach is not as complex as that of a human heart. A cockroach’s heart is a simple tube containing valves. It recycles blood by pumping back and forth. In addition to pumping blood back and forth, a cockroach’s heart can also be damaged, and it may stop functioning entirely, without causing any harm to the animal.

A cockroach can survive for up to a month without a brain. Because its brain is not needed to regulate breathing, it does not need a mouth or a nose. Cockroaches do have blood, called haemolymph. This fluid is colourless and contains haemocytes and plasma.