Question

Write the answer in one sentence each: Where did the grinding of food occur in Grasshopper?

Answer 1

Hint: Grasshopper is a member of the phylum Arthropoda and class Insecta. They are herbivores chewing insects. Moreover, the grinding of food refers to the processing of food. During grinding big chunks or particles of food are cut into fine bits or pieces.

Complete answer: The grasshopper is a herbivore animal. This means that they are plant eaters. Large groups of the insect can cause famine and have devastating effects whereas, in smaller numbers, these are serious pests. The digestive system of a grasshopper consists of two parts.
These two parts are –
1. Alimentary Canal
2. Salivary Glands
1. Alimentary Canal –
The alimentary canal of a grasshopper has three prominent regions. These three regions are –
a. Foregut
b. Midgut
c. Hindgut
a. Foregut – The foregut has four parts. These four parts are as follows –
i. Opening of mouth – The mouth opening is present at the anterior end of the foregut. The food enters through the opening of the mouth.
ii. Pharynx – It is located just behind the opening of the mouth. It is smaller in size.
iii. Oesophagus – It is a narrow tube-like structure. It connects the mouth to the crop. The food is partially digested and stored in the crop.
iv. Gizzard – It is present posterior to the crop. It is a thick-walled and muscular structure that is conical in shape. It grinds and crushes the food.
b. Midgut – It is also known as the mesenteron. It is present behind the stomach or the midgut. It is a large and wide sac-like structure where the food is digested. There are several gastric caeca present at the junction of the gizzard and the stomach. These gastric caeca secrete the enzymes in the midgut.
c. Hindgut – The hindgut has two parts. These two parts are –
i. Small Intestine – It is also known as the Ileum. It is a tubular portion. It helps in the absorption of food.
ii. Large Intestine – It is present next to the small intestine. It consists of the colon and rectum. The rectum opens into the anus.
Thus, from the above information, we can conclude that the grinding of food in a grasshopper takes place in its gizzard.

Note: The salivary glands are closely related to the oesophagus and the crop of a grasshopper. They are small branched glands that secrete saliva. They open to the buccal cavity. The saliva is produced in abundance. However, the saliva of the grasshoppers is mostly free of enzymes.