squid and stuff

You have one heart. Squids have three. That makes them three times better than you. Let’s learn.

The first two hearts:

The first two hearts are called branchial hearts. These hearts are responsible for pumping blood to the gills (where oxygen exchange occurs). As water flows over the gills, oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide is released into the surrounding seawater. The branchial hearts work tirelessly to ensure a steady supply of oxygenated blood reaches the squid’s tissues, providing the energy needed for swimming, hunting, and other essential activities.

The third heart:

The third heart is the systemic heart. This heart pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout the rest of the squid’s body. Once the blood has been oxygenated in the gills, it is transported by the branchial hearts to the systemic heart, which then distributes it to the muscles, organs, and other tissues.

Teamwork:

I think the lesson today is that teamwork makes the dream work. Those two branchial hearts do the footwork of getting the oxygenated blood to the systemic heart, and the systemic heart then makes sure every part of the squid receives the vital oxygen and nutrients it needs to function optimally.

There’s a high-five in there somewhere, and a pat on the back from one heart to the next saying, “good job, team, this is why we’re so much better than humans and their single hearts.”