Plants and Animals

How do horseshoe crabs breathe?

Link to this answer

CloseClose

Link to this answer

Share this credible answer with others. Simply paste this code into your blog or Web page:

<a href="http://qanda.encyclopedia.com/question/do-horseshoe-crabs-breathe-187300.html" >How do horseshoe crabs breathe?</a>
E-mail this answer Link to this answer

The respiratory organs are called book gills and are unique to horseshoe crabs. Each book gill is made of about 100 thin leaves, or plates; these are fitted like pages of a book onto one pair of flaplike appendages on the opisthosoma. Rhythmic movement of the appendages circulates water over the gill surfaces and drives blood into and out of the gill leaves.

Answer verified with
Get more facts and information about horseshoe crab . Or, view the full encyclopedia entry from The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.

Similar questions: How does the respiratory system of horseshoe crabs function? What is the process by which horseshoe crabs breathe? How do the respiratory organs of horseshoe crabs function? [ Hide these questions ]

Related research questions

Related research articles

WHAT WILL THE NEW EPA CHIEF MEAN FOR VIRGINIA?(LOCAL)
Newspaper article from: The Virginian Pilot ...among the most polluted, do for our environment? And...a fundamental right to breathe clean air.'' Well...position with respect to the horseshoe crab represents a contrast with...leaves. But will Whitman do anything to stop the flow...
Rhoda Baer: Singular Shooter
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post ...has been trying to breathe new life into the...Baer says. "I'll do about 10 or 12 images...we don't like to do the obvious, even...netted, holding a huge horseshoe crab. And thus did an...a while, one can do just so many executive...
The Medical Zoo.(laboratory animals)
Magazine article from: Child Life ...Sounds gory. How do you get the blood...blood cells from the horseshoe crab to test for certain...What other stuff do you use?" "Let...effort for them to breathe or blink their eyes...s far out, what do you think of the test...
See all results at HighBeam

HighBeam gives you access to newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles plus press releases, facts, information, and biographies from thousands of sources.