JiveVib

Do ants get out of breath.

Glen, Chung-li ,Taoyuan County

• No because ants do not use an active tidal respiratory system as mammals do. Instead they have spiracles - holes that communicate with tubes leading to the inside of the body so that air can diffuse sufficiently near to all the ant's cells to allow internal espiration - the oxidative processes that generate energy. In a similar way CO2 diffuses out. This has two consequences. First there is an absolute limit to the effectiveness of the diffusion that limits the size of insects. So no human flies or giant ants no matter what you see in films. Second, this is why soapy water kills insects - the lower surface tension allows water to wet the surface and allow the water to block the spiracles.

  Tim Skerry, Sheffield uk

• No, because as insects, they don't have lungs as we mammals have. Insects breathe through spiracles, openings on the abdomen and the oxygen intake is essentially a chemical process. The more they need, the more their bodies make

  Kenny, Chingford UK

• An ant can’t get out of breath because it doesn’t have any lungs to create breath in the first place. They breathe by diffusion of oxygen through their shell. That is why insects are never bigger than the goliath beetle, as oxygen could not get efficiently to the inner parts of a larger animal. Although I have no scientific evidence I assume if an insect expends more effort than the diffusion of oxygen can supply then the animal will end up not being able to walk or fly further because of lack of oxygen to the muscles so would have to rest for a while.

  G. Baker, Ockendon, UK

• When they incur an oxygen debt, some species of insect will rhythmically flex their abdomen to encourage exchange of air between trachea and ambient air. This might be termed 'panting' and the insect might be said to be out of breath.

  Hugo, Coventry, UK