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Cephalopods - Circulatory System

The cephalopod circulatory system consists of three hearts - two branchial hearts that pump blood to the gills for respiration, and one systemic heart that pumps oxygenated blood to the body. Each heart is innervated by nerves, with the cardiac ganglion acting as the pacemaker. The two branchial hearts beat simultaneously, followed by the systemic heart, circulating blue blood containing the oxygen-carrying molecule hemocyanin through the veins and arteries.

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Kim Esperas Sitchon
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389 views9 pages

Cephalopods - Circulatory System

The cephalopod circulatory system consists of three hearts - two branchial hearts that pump blood to the gills for respiration, and one systemic heart that pumps oxygenated blood to the body. Each heart is innervated by nerves, with the cardiac ganglion acting as the pacemaker. The two branchial hearts beat simultaneously, followed by the systemic heart, circulating blue blood containing the oxygen-carrying molecule hemocyanin through the veins and arteries.

Uploaded by

Kim Esperas Sitchon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CEPHALOPOD CIRCULATORY

SYSTEM
• CEPHALOPOD LITERALLY MEANS “HEAD FOOT” IN GREEK,
A REFERENCE TO THE WAY THE CEPHALOPOD’S
HEAD CONNECTS TO ITS MANY ARMS. THE BASIC
CEPHALOPOD BODY PLAN INCLUDES TWO EYES, A
MANTLE, A FUNNEL (ALSO CALLED A SIPHON), AND AT
LEAST EIGHT ARMS.
• THE CORE OF THE CEPHALOPOD CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IS A
SERIES OF THREE BEATING HEARTS. THIS TRIO OF HEARTS
CONNECTS TO A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM OF VEINS, ARTERIES,
AND CAPILLARIES.
Giant squid have eight arms but use their two long
feeding tentacles to seize prey. (Smithsonian Institution)
• TWO OF THE HEARTS ARE BRANCHIAL HEARTS, WHICH PUMP BLOOD
THROUGH THE GILLS FOR RESPIRATION AND GAS EXCHANGE. THESE
ARE ALMOST LIKE THE PARTS OF THE HUMAN HEART THAT PUMP
BLOOD TO OUR LUNGS.
• THE THIRD HEART IS A SYSTEMIC HEART, RECEIVING THE BLOOD
THAT DRAINS FROM THE GILLS AND PUMPING THAT OXYGENATED
BLOOD TO THE BODY SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEMIC HEART IS MOST LIKE
THE PARTS OF OUR HUMAN HEART THAT PUMP BLOOD OUT TO THE
WHOLE BODY.
• EACH OF THE THREE HEARTS IS INNERVATED BY A VARIETY OF
NERVES, THOUGH IT APPEARS THAT THE CARDIAC GANGLION- A
CLUSTER OF NERVES - ACTS AS THE CONTROLLING PACEMAKER OF
THE HEARTS. 
An overview of a cephalopod circulatory system.
• THE TWO BRANCHIAL HEARTS BEAT SIMULTANEOUSLY, FOLLOWED BY THE
CONTRACTION OF THE SYSTEMIC HEART TO SUPPLY THE BODY WITH BLOOD.
• BLOOD DRAINS TO THE BRANCHIAL HEARTS BY THE MAJOR VEINS.
• THE VESSELS WITHIN THE GILLS WHICH DRAIN BACK TO THE MAIN VENTRICLE.
JUST LIKE HUMAN VENTRICLES, THE SYSTEMIC HEART PUSHES BLOOD OUT OF
THE HEART.
• BLOOD IS THEN PUMPED FROM THE SYSTEMIC HEART TO THE BODY VIA THE
MAIN CEPHALIC ARTERY.
• FOR CEPHALOPODS, THE TERM “BLUE BLOODS”
TAKES A MORE LITERAL MEANING THAN THE
MEDIEVAL REFERENCE TO NOBILITY—THEIR
BLOOD IS ACTUALLY BLUE.
• WHILE HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS RELY ON
AN IRON-BASED OXYGEN TRANSPORT SYSTEM,
CEPHALOPODS EVOLVED A COPPER-BASED
SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE SOURCE OF THE BLUE
COLOR (SIMILAR TO HORSESHOE CRABS).
• THE COPPER-BASED MOLECULE IN A CEPHALOPOD'S BLOOD IS CALLED
HEMOCYANIN, WHICH BINDS TO OXYGEN TO CARRY IT THROUGHOUT
THE BODY AND POWER MUSCLES. IT HAS A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER
OXYGEN BINDING POWER WHEN COMPARED TO IRON-BASED
HEMOGLOBIN, THOUGH A STUDY OF AN ANTARCTIC
OCTOPUS, PARELEDONE CHARCOTI, SUGGESTS THE HEMOCYANIN SYSTEM
HELPS CEPHALOPODS MAINTAIN EFFICIENT OXYGEN TRANSPORT IN
ENVIRONMENTS OF VARYING TEMPERATURE AND OXYGEN LEVEL.
• HEMOCYANIN IS MOST EFFICIENT IN COLD WATER BUT LOSES ITS HOLD
ON OXYGEN IN MORE ACIDIC WATER SUGGESTING THAT AS OCEANS
BECOME WARMER AND MORE ACIDIC DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE,
CEPHALOPODS MAY STRUGGLE TO CIRCULATE ENOUGH OXYGEN
THROUGH THEIR BLOODSTREAM.

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