spiracles
Insect respiratory openings
Spiracles are small openings that allow air or water to pass through.
In insects and spiders, spiracles are the breathing holes along the body that connect to the tracheal system.
In sharks and rays, spiracles are openings behind the eyes that draw in water for respiration, useful when the mouth is buried in sand.
Some whales' blowholes are also called spiracles.
The word appears mainly in biology: The larva breathes through spiracles on its abdomen.
Whale's breathing aperture
- cetaceanAquatic mammal order
- mammalWarm-blooded, milk-producing animal
- breathingPulmonary gas exchange
- surfacingComing to the surface
spout · exhalation · dorsal · orca · humpback · beluga · baleen · pod
Respiratory airway tube
- tracheaeMain airways in throats
- oxygenElement eight, colorless gas
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- thoraxCentral body cavity
abdomen · chitin · arthropod · metamorphosis · larva · caterpillar · beetle · grasshopper
Composed of flexible connective tissue
- rayNarrow light emission
- skateGliding boot or flatfish
- gillsAquatic respiratory organs
- oxygenElement eight, colorless gas
benthic · cranium · jaw · guitarfish · stingray · vestigial · marine · ventilation
Remaining alive against odds
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- terrestrialRelating to land
- phenotypeObservable characteristics of organism
blowhole
Whale's breathing aperture
- cetaceanAquatic mammal order
- mammalWarm-blooded, milk-producing animal
- breathingPulmonary gas exchange
surfacing · spout · exhalation · dorsal · orca · humpback · beluga · baleen · pod · migration
trachea
Respiratory airway tube
- tracheaeMain airways in throats
- oxygenElement eight, colorless gas
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
thorax · abdomen · chitin · arthropod · metamorphosis · larva · caterpillar · beetle · grasshopper · cockroach
cartilaginous
Composed of flexible connective tissue
oxygen · benthic · cranium · jaw · guitarfish · stingray · vestigial · marine · ventilation
survival
Remaining alive against odds
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- terrestrialRelating to land
phenotype · fitness · speciation · diffusion
- animal featuresbeaks, scales, antlers, fur, ears
- insect biologyantennae, compound eyes, exoskeleton, mandibles, metamorphosis
- aquatic adaptationsgills, fins, swim bladder, flippers, webbed feet
- bug partsantennae, thorax, abdomen, head, legs
- fish anatomygills, fins, tail, eye, pelvic fins
- insect anatomyabdomen, antennae, thorax, exoskeleton, head
spiracleslungs
Respiratory chest organs
gills · book lungs · alveoli · internal organs · swim bladder