Look at an ant crossing a slab. You will not see his breast rise like that of a mammal. Looking for his lungs would lead in the wrong direction anyway: his respiratory organization is different from ours.
The anatomical presentation from Harvard Forest explains that oxygen enters through small openings called spiracles. The ant therefore has air access distributed over its body, instead of using the same nose, trachea and lungs that we spontaneously imagine when we think about breathing.
The absence of lungs does not mean the absence of oxygen. It reminds that a function can be provided by very different structures. The animal that appeared to be a miniature version of a large body follows its own anatomical rules. This change of scale changes the way we understand the most ordinary gesture: breathing.
What we know
Breathing openings called spiracles; the parallel with human anatomy is limited and does not describe miniature lungs.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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