Grasshopper Anatomy

The species grouped under the vernacular term grasshopper belong to the arthropod branch. It is a hexapod of the order Orthoptera. The animal represented here was built from existing drawings in the literature, histological sections and dissections made in the laboratory. In addition to the external general view, the representations show (in a simplified way) the main systems and muscles associated with flight. When the video allows it, clearly distinguish all the characters allowing their classification within arthropods. The body of Arthropods results from the longitudinal juxtaposition of structural and functional units, the metamers. Each metamer is framed by several skeletal plates, including a roof-shaped or tergite back piece and a convex ventral piece, the sternite. These various parts are joined together by flexible and thin joint areas, the pleuritis. Each metamer can be divided into three compartments. Dorsally, the pericardial sinus surrounds the dorsal blood vessel. In the centre, the digestive system and gonads are located in the perivisceral sinus. Ventrally, the ventral nerve chain (and associated lymph nodes) are located in the perineural sinus. The metamer may also contain two dorsal muscle bundles and two bellies. In principle, each metamer carries a pair of symmetrical, multi-articulated appendages adapted to multiple functions. This video was produced by the Laboratory of Functional and Evolutive Morphology and the laboratory of Biological Oceanography (University of Liège) as part of the “Marine Mammals for Science Education“ project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme. See all the 3D videos produced by the Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology (ULiège) More information on the “Marine Mammals for Science Education“ project: