One cannot imagine what it would be like to live without a head. But cockroaches can live up to several weeks after being decapitated. How do cockroaches survive without a head?
Many organisms in nature have unique abilities that we might find shocking. One such organism is the cockroach.
Nature has built cockroaches in such a way that they can almost survive any catastrophe. They have high adaptability to toxins and can easily develop resistance to chemicals. Female cockroaches can reproduce without males using parthenogenetic reproduction.
Some studies also show that cockroaches can survive thermonuclear war as they are not severely affected by radiation. This is because they are simple organisms and have fewer genes that might develop mutations.
However, one of the most shocking facts about cockroaches is that they can survive without a head for up to several weeks. The same cannot be said for human beings since we will bleed to death when decapitated.
Unlike human beings, cockroaches don’t have blood vessels and as a result, they do not rely on blood for circulation of oxygen. They use tiny holes called spiracles that are present throughout their bodies to breathe.
They also have mini brains called ‘ganglia’, which are present in different segments of their body and are responsible for specific functions in their respective parts.
Since they do not have a single brain, nor do they breathe from their head like humans do, living without a head is easy for these insects. However, they eventually starve to death because they need their mouth to eat and drink. This can take up to several weeks.
Even the decapitated head can survive by itself for several hours before it stops moving.
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Ms Kalinga