How Do Fly’s Breathe?
WouterIf you’ve ever wondered how flies breathe, you’ll be delighted to know that they don’t need to breathe through a mouth. Instead, they breathe through tiny openings on their bodies, called spiracles. These openings connect to a complex system of tubes, known as trachea, which enters tissue to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. Because of this, flies are able to survive for up to five hours in water.
Both adult and larval flies have tracheae, which are layered extensions of their bodies. The tracheal gills are located on the abdomen, but in some species they are also found on the anal portion of the body. In addition, dragonfly nymphs have gills within their rectums.
Adult flies are mobile and have a large compound eye. They have lapping-sponging mouthparts and can feed on both sexes. Depending on the species, their reproductive cycle may last only one or two generations. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind that flies have very short adult lives, which means that they must breathe in order to survive.
Fly respiratory systems are similar to those of humans, but they’re different. Humans have a central circulatory and respiratory system that allows oxygen to enter body tissues. Insects, however, use a separate respiratory system in which carbon dioxide is expelled out of the body through spiracles. Insects also have a degree of control over their respiratory systems, and can control their respiration by closing their spiracles with muscle contractions. However, in moist environments, they must relax their muscles.
