The Animals breathing through the trachea Are those who perform their respiratory process through a system of branching tubes called tracheas.
The tracheas run through the body internally carrying oxygen to all tissues. Tracheal breathing is characteristic of both aquatic and terrestrial arthropods.
The entrance orifice of the tracheal tubes is called a spiracle or stigma. These are small pores that pass through the integumentary tissue. The entrance and exit of the air through the tracheas happens thanks to the movements of the abdomen.
As mentioned above, arthropods are the animals that exhibit this particular type of breathing. This group includes insects, arachnids, crustaceans and myriapods.
1- The Dragonfly
It is a simple or incomplete metamorphosis insect (hemimetábolos). That is, their transformation from larva to adult insect does not pass through the pupa stage. In its adult form it is a winged insect with a very long abdomen, large eyes and short antennae.
2- The Butterfly
Insect of complete metamorphosis (holometábolos). That is, it goes through a process of development of several phases: embryo, larva, pupa and adult. Many of the species are recognized by the variety of colors and designs of their wings as well as by their size.
3- The Flea
It is an external insect parasite without wings. It feeds on the blood of its guests and moves by jumping proportional to its size.
4- The Garrapata
This animal belongs to the mite family. They are external parasites that feed on blood.
5- The Scorpion
It is also known by the name of scorpion. Its elongated and curved tail ending in a sting with poison is one of its most particular characteristics.
6- The Tarantula
It is the common name given to several species of large spiders. They have body and legs covered with hair. Some tarantulas can"shoot"hair from your abdomen as a means of defense.
7- The Opilion
They are arachnids like spiders. They differ from them, in that their body has no division between the abdomen and the prosoma, they do not weave fabrics and only have two eyes (spiders have 8).
8- The lobster
It is a marine crustacean. His body is rigid and is divided into three parts. It has two thick tongs that serve to trap and grind its food or as a means of defense.
9- Nécora
It is a flat and wide shell crustacean. Between the eyes it has eight or ten pointed teeth similar to those of a saw. Your first pair of legs are two black tongs that you use to trap your food and defend yourself.
10- Centipede
This arthropod has an elongated shape. Some species are tubular and others are flattened. However, the characteristic that identifies them mainly is that they possess numerous small feet along the sides of their body.
eleven- Pauropus
They are tiny arthropods. His body is soft and have on his head a pair of branched antennas. On the sides of your body you have 9 to 11 pairs of legs.
How Tracheal Breathing Occurs
In animals breathing through the trachea air enters through the spiracles. These have small bristles that filter the air and help prevent the entry of foreign elements into the tracheas. In addition they have a kind of valves regulated by muscles that allow the opening and closing of the spiracles.
The air entering through the spiracles passes into the main tracheal tubes. From there it diffuses through the ramifications of these. These branches have very thin tips that are filled with liquid.
The oxygen dissolves in this liquid and from there it expands towards the adjacent cells. Similarly, the carbon dioxide gas is also dissolved and expelled through the tracheas.
Most arthropod cells are located along the ends of the tracheal branches. This facilitates the transport of the gases involved in breathing without the need for a respiratory protein such as hemoglobin.
Some arthropods have the ability to control the entry and exit of air through the tracheal tubes. For example when the abdominal muscles of the grasshopper contract, the organs press on the flexible tracheal tubes and force the air to leave them.
When these muscles relax, the pressure on the tracheas decreases, the tubes expand and the air rushes.
In some of the animals with tracheal breathing there are other organs that complement this type of breathing. Many spiders, for example, have one or two lungs librillo (laminar lungs or filotráqueas).
In these respiratory organs, air and blood flow through spaces separated only by thin sheets of tissue. A substance called hemocyanin present in your blood that traps oxygen and turns blue-green as it passes through the laminar lungs.
In the case of aquatic arthropods, there are several adaptations of their respiratory tracheal systems that allow them to breathe in the aqueous medium. Some have an external respiratory tube that they pull out above the surface of the water. Through this tube, air passes into your tracheal system.
Other aquatic arthropods use air bubbles that adhere to the spiracles and from which they take the necessary oxygen while underwater. While others have spines whose spikes carry spiracles.
They pierce through the spines the leaves of the plants that are under water and through the spiracles they absorb oxygen from the bubbles that form inside the perforated leaves.
Structure of the Trachea
The trachea is an organ that has a very particular structure. Its walls are rigid enough to avoid compression by the weight of adjacent tissues.
This is because the tracheal walls are made up of spiral chitin fibers. However, the walls are also flexible so as to allow pressure to a certain extent, without deformations or complete closure of the trachea.
References
- Starr, C. Ever. C, Starr, L (2008) Biology: Concepts and Applications. Beltmont, USA: Trompson Books / Cole.
- Campos, P. et al (2002). Biology / Biology, Volume 2. Mexico, MX: Limusa Noriega Editors.
- Kumar, V. and Bhatia, S. (2013). Complete Biology for Medical College Entrance Examination. New Delhi, IN: McGraw Hill Education.
- Autonomous University of Nuevo León (2006). Notes of Support. Agronomy faculty. Mexico.
- Torralba, A. (2015). Insecta class. Order Odonata. Revista Ide @ -SEA. 41 pp. 1-22.