Do Mosquitoes Have Hearts?
WouterDuring the night, mosquitoes are active. They eat nectar and blood, and their poop is semi-solid. They rest during the day. But do mosquitoes have hearts?
An insect’s heart is a tube-like structure that runs along the dorsal side of the insect’s body. The heart is connected to the aorta, which is a pumping device that pushes haemolymph throughout the insect’s body.
The heart of an insect is located in the rear two-thirds of the tube. The heart is divided into chambers, each of which is separated by valves. In addition, the heart contains pericardial cells, which are specialized organs that are found inside the heart. During contraction, the heart pumps hemolymph in the anterograde and retrograde directions.
The study analyzed the heart of mosquitoes to measure the flow of hemolymph. It showed that the primary hemolymph-pumping organ in mosquitoes was the heart. The heart also contained alary muscles, which help support the heart. The study used several microscopy techniques to examine the heart and to quantify the flow of hemolymph.
Using red fluorescent microspheres, the researchers were able to visualize the venous channels in the mosquito heart. The hemolymph flows from the thorax through the aorta and into the abdominal ostia.
The posterior excurrent opening (EO) is formed by crisscrossing cardiac musculature. It is found in the anterior portion of the eighth abdominal segment. The exact conformation of the EO varies depending on the contraction state of the heart.
