ANSWERS: 2
  • Yes, flies need oxygen for respiration. Like all insects, they have spiracles -- little holes on the body connected to a branching system of tracheae (plural of trachea). Oxygen then diffuses into each cell in the fly's body. It's not as efficient as the lungs-and-diaphragm of vertebrates, so most insects must be small in order for oxygen to reach every cell in their bodies. Some insects, like bees and grasshoppers, pump air sacs in their abdomens, but flies don't do this. Note that the biggest bugs are found only in the tropics -- where elevated temperatures enhance the diffusion of oxygen through their big bug bodies.
  • Yes indeed! :)

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