What do insects do through their spiracles?

dave_fl

An insect breathes through thoracic and abdominal spiracles. Apr 05 00, 2:36 PM

zbeckabee

Spiracle -- In arthropods, the small external opening of a trachea (respiratory tube) or a book lung (breathing organ with thin folds of membrane resembling book leaves). In insects and some more advanced spiders, spiracles on their exoskeleton allow air to enter trachea. In insects, the tracheal tubes primarily deliver oxygen directly to the animals' tissues. Several aquatic insects have similar or alternative closing methods to prevent water from entering the trachea. In spiders, however, the oxygen diffuses into the hemolymph. A similar diffusion effect also occurs in some insect caterpillars. In these latter groups, then, the respiration is more reminiscent of lungs (in spiders and other arachnids, they have structures called book lungs, in fact). http://www.stubrit.com/britannica_browse/s/s59.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiracle Jan 13 08, 6:52 PM