FlipFact of the Day: .Aside from a systemic heart that maintains circulation throughout its body, the common octopus also has two branchial hearts that move its hemolymph (the blue-tinted equivalent of blood in most invertebrates) beyond its gills.
Furthermore, two-thirds of an octopus’ neurons are found not in its head, but in its arms. This allows the appendages to perform complex reflex actions without direct input from the brain. In fact, experiments have shown that an octopus’ severed arms can still react.
(By the way, in case you were wondering: the correct plural form of “octopus” is “octopuses.” As Smithsonian Magazine explains: “The world “octopus” comes from the Greek, októpus, meaning “eight foot.” The word’s Greek roots means it’s pluralized as a Greek word, too, which depends on both a noun’s gender and the last letter it ends with. In this case, an -es is simply tacked on. So no octopi, octopodes or octopussies, Harmon Courage points out.”)
Today’s Science History Milestone: On August 29, 1831, English scientist Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, or the phenomenon in which an electrical current is produced in a conductor moving in a magnetic field.
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Cover: Getty Images
References
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-curious-facts-about-octopuses-7625828/
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
