Does Cockroach Contain a Heart?
WouterThe heart of a cockroach is not visible to the naked eye, but it is present in the body cavity. The heart of a cockroach is in the pericardial sinus, an elongated muscular tube with 13 chambers. As in humans, a single failure in one of the chambers does not cause life-threatening complications. The heart pumps blood through the aorta and into the head sinus, pericardial sinus, and the perivisceral sinus.
The cockroach heart is multi-chambered and has 13 chambers, a structure similar to a human heart. Each chamber has an opening known as an ostia, which enables oxygenated blood to flow through it. The first chamber opens into the aorta, while the second opens into the sinuses in the head.
Despite the lack of a heart, cockroaches do have a circulatory fluid called haemolymph. Hemolymph is not blood, but it assists in transporting nutrients, maintaining hydrostatic pressure, and acting as a reservoir of water. Hemolymph also bathes the visceral organs. The fluid is made up of colourless plasma, haemocytes, and other organic compounds. Haemolymph also plays a role in moulting, laying eggs, and extending the wings.
The heart of a cockroach is similar to that of a human, but in an entirely different way. Cockroaches have an open circulatory system, and they can continue to function even when one chamber fails. In fact, the heart of a cockroach can serve as a model for the artificial human heart. With the help of this model, artificial human hearts will be cheap and durable.
