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Tracheal tubes - pipelines of air

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The tracheal system transports oxygen to the cells

Like the human circulatory system, the branches of the tracheal system ramify through the entire body.

Tracheal tubes forming manifolds and connections in the abdomen of the moth pupa Attacus atlas (A. Kaiser, 1995)

Right behind the spiracular valve is a tracheal manifold.

Here, the tracheal branches originate from the spiracles.

The tubes connect the spiracles on both sides of the segment (intrasegmental, latitudinal anastomoses).

They also connect to adjacent segments (intersegmental, longitudinal anastomoses) to form a network of large tracheal tubes.


 

Tracheal tubes intrude a salivary gland of a fruit fly (Nation, 2002)

As branches get thinner, they intrude the organs and tissues.

Here, the blind ending tracheoles form the tips of the branches.

The image shows tracheae servicing a salivary gland of a fruit fly.

The smallest tracheal branches intrude the gland tissue.