Human blood is typically red due to a protein known as haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in our bodies.However, various animals have blood colors other than red.
For instance, some have blue, green, or clear blood. This diversity in the animal kingdom is intriguing.
Here are five animals with different-colored blood and why their blood appears that way:
1. Octopus:
Octopuses are intelligent sea creatures with eight arms. They have blue blood because of a protein called hemocyanin that contains copper.
Hemocyanin helps transport oxygen, especially in the cold, deep waters where octopuses reside. The interaction of oxygen with the copper in hemocyanin turns their blood blue, similar to how iron in our blood turns it red.
This unique adaptation enables octopuses to thrive in challenging environments.
2. Horseshoe crab:
Horseshoe crabs, ancient creatures existing for millions of years, also have blue blood due to hemocyanin, like octopuses.
Additionally, their blood contains substances that can detect harmful bacteria. This feature makes horseshoe crab blood valuable in medicine to ensure the safety of vaccines and other medications for humans.
3. Green-blooded skink:
Skinks, a type of lizard found in regions like New Guinea, have green blood. The green color of their blood comes from a substance called biliverdin, considered a waste product in many animals. In significant quantities, biliverdin can be toxic, but these skinks have developed a tolerance to it.
4. Peanut worm:
Peanut worms are little sea creatures with soft bodies. Even though they may not seem very exciting, they actually have purple blood. This purple color comes from a protein called hemerythrin, which uses iron to carry oxygen in a different way compared to how our blood’s hemoglobin does it. The blood turns purple when hemerythrin binds with oxygen.
5. Icefish:
Icefish are found in the super cold waters near Antarctica. Their blood is clear or colorless because they don’t have hemoglobin like we do, which is why their blood doesn’t turn red.
So, how do they manage without hemoglobin?
Well, the cold water they live in has a lot of oxygen, and their bodies have evolved to absorb oxygen straight through their skin and other body parts.
This special adaptation helps them survive in freezing waters where other fish might struggle to make it.