19 Internal Anatomy – Introduction

Internal Anatomy – Introduction

First, remember what the outside of the grasshopper looks like.

In the dorsal body wall, we will find most of the circulatory system; the ventral wall is where the nervous system is most visible; and laterally, at the join between tergites and sternites, is where the spiracles and respiratory system can be seen.

To examine the internal anatomy, the initial incision is made laterally, about halfway between the dorsal midline and the spiracles.

When the grasshopper is first opened, the most obvious structures are usually the gonads (which take up a large proportion of the abdominal cavity in both sexes) and the fat body. In this next photo, the fat body resembles a network or mesh overlying the internal organs. Its function is similar to that of our liver.