The Insect Circulatory System: Structure, Function, and Evolution

Although the insect circulatory system is involved in a multitude of vital physiological processes, it has gone grossly understudied. This review highlights this critical physiological system by detailing the structure and function of the circulatory organs, including the dorsal heart and the access...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of entomology 2020-01, Vol.65 (1), p.121-143
Main Authors: Hillyer, Julián F, Pass, Günther
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging - physiology
Animals
Biological Evolution
Body Temperature Regulation
Cardiovascular System
defense
dorsal vessel
heart
hemocoel
hemolymph
Hemolymph - physiology
Immune System
Insecta - anatomy & histology
Insecta - physiology
Metamorphosis, Biological
pressure
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Summary:Although the insect circulatory system is involved in a multitude of vital physiological processes, it has gone grossly understudied. This review highlights this critical physiological system by detailing the structure and function of the circulatory organs, including the dorsal heart and the accessory pulsatile organs that supply hemolymph to the appendages. It also emphasizes how the circulatory system develops and ages and how, by means of reflex bleeding and functional integration with the immune system, it supports mechanisms for defense against predators and microbial invaders, respectively. Beyond that, this review details evolutionary trends and novelties associated with this system, as well as the ways in which this system also plays critical roles in thermoregulation and tracheal ventilation in high-performance fliers. Finally, this review highlights how novel discoveries could be harnessed for the control of vector-borne diseases and for translational medicine, and it details principal knowledge gaps that necessitate further investigation.
ISSN:0066-4170
1545-4487
DOI:10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025003