# How do insects work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788 "2003-10-11T03:04:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Hat\_s\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@The\_Hat\_s\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hat_s_Rabbit)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788/1 "2003-10-11T03:04:23Z")

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It may sound silly, but how exactly do insects work? Do insects have a heart, a nervous system, lungs… a colon? It’s just one of those things I’ve never thought about it before. 😃

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788/2 "2003-10-11T03:08:45Z")

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Silly answer: Nine to five, like the rest of us.

Serious answer: Yes, they do have hearts and nervous systems, and some have lungs. Others–I think–have some sort of breathing mechanisms through their carapace.

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**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788/3 "2003-10-11T04:45:57Z")

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[Google is your friend](http://www.earthlife.net/insects/anatomy.html)

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**Author:** ![The\_Hat\_s\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@The\_Hat\_s\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hat_s_Rabbit)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788/4 "2003-10-13T01:12:09Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Google is your friend

[Unless you’re paranoid](http://lmri.ucsb.edu/pipermail/reformanet/2003-March/010502.html)

_twitch_

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**Author:** ![dinoboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dinoboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinoboy)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788/5 "2003-10-13T03:24:15Z")

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That’s a good site but it is a bit dated on the breathing aspects.

[This](http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s769094.htm) site reveals some new information I think is facinating (I used to work down the hall from these guys at the FMNH - very cool guys)

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**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-insects-work/206788/6 "2003-10-13T09:46:41Z")

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They used a Synchrotron to do that? Hmmm i’ve got to get one of those. 🙂