Digestive system in multicellular organisms (Grasshoppers)

The grasshopper is a herbivore and it eats the leaves of plants. Special organs in its mouth are helpful in gnawing and swallowing food. 

Grasshopper

 

Grasshopper is a multicellular organism and extracellular digestion is found in multicellular organisms. In this type of digestion, the digestion of food takes place outside the cell.

The three parts of the digestive system of grasshoppers are the Front Part, the Middle Part and the Back Part respectively.

1) Front Part:- Mouth, esophagus, pharynx, crop and gizzard come in the front part.

Crop:- One pair of salivary glands are found on either side of the crop.

Gizzards have thick walls, which are used to grind food.

2) Middle part:- The part from the gizzard to the small intestine is called the middle part.

Hepatic Sika:- In this 6 pairs of glands are found which open in the stomach. These are called "hepatic sicca". It secretes digestive juices.

3) Back part:- Small intestine, large intestine and rectum are called posterior part.

Malpighian ducts:- Innumerable thread-like ducts are found at the joint of the middle and posterior part, they are called "Malpizzin ducts", which is the excretory organ.

Small Intestine:- Absorption of digested food takes place in the small intestine.

Digestion Process:-

• The leaves (food) eaten in the mouth by the locust are mixed with saliva from the salivary glands which makes it greasy. Some enzymes are also found in it which digest the starch.

• Food from the mouth passes through the esophagus and is stored in the crop for a short time.

• The food in the crop reaches the gizzard, where the food is crushed by its muscles.

• The food from the gizzard reaches the stomach in which the digestive juice released from the hepatic sac mixes with it and digests the food.

• Digested food is absorbed in the small intestine.

• Proper food is stored in the large intestine, from where it is periodically expelled through the anus or through the rectum.