Circulatory System in Cockroaches

Circulatory System in Cockroaches
Cockroach being an insect possesses an open circulatory system.
The system is poorly developed and consists of following organs:

Heart and Aorta:
The heart of cockroach is an elongated contractile, narrow tube lying along the mid-dorsal line
of thorax and abdomen just beneath the terga. The heart is enclosed in a pericardial sinus, the
wall of which has segmented bundles of alary muscles and a dorsal fenestrated diaphragm.
The wall of the heart is composed of outer connective tissue and median muscle cells. The cavity
of the heart is lined by the sarcolemma of median muscle cells. The heart consists of thirteen
funnel-shaped and segmentally arranged chambers, each communicating by a valvular opening
with that lying in front of it (Fig. 2.65).
The hinder end of each chamber has a pair of minute, lateral and valvular openings called ostia,
which allows the flow of blood from the pericardium into the heart only and not in reverse
direction. In each segment, heart sends a pair of ex-current arteries.
The heart is closed behind but is continued forward as a short and narrow tube without ostia
called the aorta. This aorta and segmental arteries finally open within the haemocoelic spaces.
Haemocoel:
The body cavity of cockroach is not a true coelom but a haemocoel containing blood
(haemolymph).
The diaphragm or the dorsal fenestrated partition divides the haemocoel into
three sinuses:
(i) The dorsal or pericardial sinus surrounding the heart, aorta and alary muscles,
(ii) The middle or perivisceral sinus containing the alimentary canal (Fig. 2.66) and
(iii) The ventral sternal or perineural sinus enclosing the ventral nerve cord. It also extends into
the legs as septa, dividing the cavity of each leg into two sinuses, one for the outward and the
other for the inward flow of blood. The diaphragm being perforated, permits the blood to flow
from one sinus into another.
Circulating Fluid in Cockroach:

Haemolymph:
In cockroach, the circulating fluid does not always flow through the vessels, rather comes in
direct contact with the tissues while flowing in the haemocoel.
So the ‘blood’ of cockroach is both blood as well as lymph and is therefore, called haemolymph.
It is colourless, as it lacks the respiratory pigment haemoglobin and does not take part in
respiration. It consists of a clear fluid plasma in which are suspended nucleated cells or
haemocytes.
The plasma contains various inorganic ions like sodium, potassium, calcium; organic com-
pounds like, citrate; amino acids viz. alanine, cystine, glycine, tyrosine, valine etc.; enzymes like
chitinase and glucosidase; carbohydrates; lipids and uric acid.
The plasma serves primarily as a means for:

(i) Transportation of dissolved substances like food and wastes round the body,
(ii) Transmission of hydrostatic pressure from one end of the body to the other,
(iii) Reservoir of food as well as water and
(iv) It also helps in hatching of eggs, moulting and in expansion of wings.
Haemocytes:
The structure and function of the haemocytes of different insects including cockroach have been
reviewed by different workers. However, the following haemocytes (Fig. 2.67) are most
commonly present in cockroach haemolymph.
1. Prohaemocytes:
Small round cells with large nucleus and thin agranular cytoplasm. These cells divide to give rise
to other kinds of haemocytes.
2. Plasmocytes:
Large amoeboid cells with pseudopodia, large nucleus and large mass of a granular cytoplasm.
3. Granulocytes:
Small to large cells with granular cytoplasm.
4. Cystocytes/Coagulocytes:
Cells with small nucleus and a pale hyaline cytoplasm with black granules (Fig. 2.67). The total
number of cells in the haemolymph of adult Periplaneta is about 15,00,000 though the number
obviously depends on the volume of haemolymph which is about 15.7-17.5 per cent of body
weight. Haemocytes play significant role in the physiology and survival of cockroaches.
Their functions include:

(i) Phagocytosis of pathogens and tissue debris,
(ii) Encapsulation of metazoan parasites,
(iii) Detoxification of poisons,
(iv) Transport of growth hormones,
(v) Wound repair,
(vi) Formation of connective tissue and basement membrane,
(vii) Synthesis and storage of proteins, carbohydrates and
(viii) Coagulation of haemolymph.
Mechanism of Circulation in Cockroach:

The contraction of alary muscles enlarges the pericardial space so that the haemolymph flows
into it from the underlying perivisceral sinus. When the alary muscles relax, the haemolymph is
forced through the ostia into the heart. As the heart relaxes during diastole (Fig. 2.68) the
tension of the ligament stretches out the walls of heart so that the haemolymph flows into the
organs; anteriorly into the head.
It then passes back from the haemocoel of head into that of the thorax and abdomen and enters
the pericardium. In addition to alary muscles, contraction of dorsal diaphragm also helps in
rapid circulation of haemolymph. The heart beats at a rate of 100-200 per minute at 27°C. A
complete cycle of circulation of haemolymph through the body takes 20-30 minutes.

Circulatory System in Cockroaches

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Circulatory System in Cockroaches

Cockroach being an insect possesses an open circulatory system.

The system is poorly developed and consists of following organs:

Circulating Fluid in Cockroach:

The plasma serves primarily as a means for:

(iii) Reservoir of food as well as water and

(iv) It also helps in hatching of eggs, moulting and in expansion of wings.

Their functions include:

(ii) Encapsulation of metazoan parasites,

(iii) Detoxification of poisons,

(iv) Transport of growth hormones,

(v) Wound repair,

(vi) Formation of connective tissue and basement membrane,

(vii) Synthesis and storage of proteins, carbohydrates and

(viii) Coagulation of haemolymph.

Mechanism of Circulation in Cockroach:

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