Formikedoj: Malsamoj inter versioj

 

==Morfologio==

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Like other insects, ants have an [[exoskeleton]], an external covering that provides a protective casing around the body and a point of attachment for muscles, in contrast to the internal skeletons of humans and other [[vertebrate]]s. Insects do not have [[lung]]s; [[oxygen]] and other gases, such as [[carbon dioxide]], pass through their exoskeleton via tiny valves called [[Spiracle (arthropods)|spiracle]]s. Insects also lack closed [[blood vessel]]s; instead, they have a long, thin, perforated tube along the top of the body (called the "[[dorsal aorta]]") that functions like a heart, and pumps [[haemolymph]] toward the head, thus driving the circulation of the internal fluids. The [[nervous system]] consists of a [[ventral nerve cord]] that runs the length of the body, with several [[ganglia]] and branches along the way reaching into the extremities of the appendages.<ref name="insectmorph">Borror, Triplehorn & Delong (1989), pp. 24–71</ref>