Heartless creatures: How some animals survive without a heart
Siddhartha Jana
The heart is a vital organ for humans, pumping blood and keeping the body's tissues and organs circulating.
Source: Canva
However, some animals rely on alternative means to distribute oxygen and nutrients because they lack a heart.
Source: Canva
One example is flatworms, which carry nutrients and oxygen throughout their bodies by diffusion rather than a complicated internal structure.
Source: Canva
Because of their simple body shape, jellyfish do not require a heart because they pump nutrients and oxygen through a hollow chamber.
Source: Canva
Sea sponges, which are normally found on the ocean floor, lack a heart but employ a simple system to transport water through their bodies to distribute nutrients and oxygen.
Source: Canva
Starfish, due to their particular physiology, absorb nutrients through microscopic pores on their surface and circulate them throughout their bodies to fulfil critical activities.
Source: Canva
Tapeworms, which inhabit other animals' intestines, use bodily holes to absorb and transfer nutrients because they don't have hearts.
Source: Canva
Without a heart, sea cucumbers use water flow to deliver nutrients and carry out other essential tasks, much like starfish and sea urchins.
Source: Canva
Hydra are simple aquatic animals that rely on their structure to directly absorb nutrients from the surrounding water. They lack a heart and a brain.
Source: Canva
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