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Cockroach Anatomy

Each cockroach has eyes, a mouth, salivary glands, antennae, a brain, a heart, a colon, a skeletal and reproductive system, mid-guts, legs, an esophagus, gastric caecea, a fat body and kidneys, called malpighian tubules. Cockroach eyes contain more than a thousand lenses, allowing them to see multiple things at once. However, they are incapable of registering red light.

Cockroach legs are exceptionally sensitive when touched. Their antennae, also known as feelers, are responsible for their sense of smell. Cockroaches have two small hairs on their abdomens, known as the cerci, which act as sensors. Cerci give them an advantage over predators, as they seem to be sensitive to slight air movements around them.

A cockroach's mouth can move from side to side and is capable of processing smell and taste simultaneously. Cockroaches are also equipped with salivary glands and an esophagus, which assist in digestion. At the base of the esophagus, food is temporarily located in the crop. After entering the stomach of the cockroach, food is broken down completely by enzymes present within the gastric caecea and in the middle of the intestines is the mid-gut, which is responsible for nutrient absorption. Spiracles are visible on the sides of the cockroach's body; these are used for breathing.

Inside their bodies, cockroaches contain a white substance known as the fat body. Similar to fat stores in humans, fat bodies allow cockroaches to store energy after nutrients have been broken down. Although several parts of the nervous system are located within the head of the cockroach, its brain is situated near its stomach.

Cockroach Facts

Scientific Word for Cockroach

Cockroach Food

Longest Cockroach

Largest Cockroach

Cockroach Predators

Cockroach Activity

Cockroach Myth