#CBRSciLitWeek: Do insects have blood?

September 18, 2022

For Science Literacy Week 2022, some members of our CBR Knowledge Translation Committee have joined forces to co-create a social media campaign, sharing blood facts and celebrating science with #CBRSciLitWeek. More posts will be shared throughout the week!

Insect hemolymph is made up of cells called hemocytes which are a crucial part of their immune systems.

 

By: Mopelola Akinlaja, PhD Student, Foster Lab

Do insects have blood? What happens when they get injured? Do they get blood clots? 

Insects are different from vertebrates in many ways, including the type of circulatory fluid or “blood” that they have. In all vertebrates, blood circulates oxygen, nutrients and waste around the body.

This is not exactly the case for insects. Instead of blood, they have a clear fluid called hemolymph. Hemolymph has a similar job as blood in vertebrates, but with some distinct differences as well.

One key difference is that blood contains red blood cells – or “erythrocytes” – and a protein called hemoglobin, which helps transport oxygen. While hemolymph also transports nutrients and waste in insects, it does not transport oxygen and thus does not contain hemoglobin. As a result, hemolymph does not have the characteristic red color that we associate with blood. 

Hemolymph is also made up of cells known as hemocytes, which are different from the cells found in vertebrate blood. However, insects and vertebrates are not all that different. For example, hemolymph can coagulate just like blood, meaning that insects can get clots when they’re injured, too! This is very helpful for wound healing, same as in vertebrates and can also help with the insect’s immune response.  

Blood is very important for human function, and it is interesting to see the similarities for hemolymph in small organisms like insects, too! 

 

What is Science Literacy Week?

Science Literacy Week showcases the many ways kids and families can explore and enjoy the diversity of Canadian science. Libraries, museums, science centres, schools and not-for-profits come together to highlight the books, movies, podcasts and events that share exciting stories of the science, discoveries and ingenuity shaping our lives. It’s about each and everyone’s unique relationship with science and how they live it.