Why do octopuses have blue blood

Octopuses are amazingly complex creatures. And the matter is not only in the unusual structure of their limbs. They know how to make predictions, communicate and use improvised means when it is needed (since they have eight “hands”). It remains to wonder how they succeed. Scientists say the main reason is blue blood. But why is she of this color?

Copper pipes

No, octopuses do not belong to the ancient noble family, among them there are no augusts, and they do not wear a crown on their heads. The fact is that they actually have blue blood, and the substance that is responsible for such an unusual color allows these creatures to better adapt to the environment.

This substance is called hemocyanin and is a protein with copper atoms, which carries oxygen through the body through the blood. Remember the color of copper sulfate? The blood of octopuses also acquires the same hue: because it contains not red, but blue blood cells. By the way, humans and other terrestrial mammals also have a protein with similar functions. It is called hemoglobin, instead of copper it is rich in iron and gives the blood a red color.

Octopus brain

But that is not all. An octopus is essentially one big brain that needs to be nourished with oxygen. Its 500 million neurons are distributed throughout the head and body. Of course, this does not compare with the 100 billion neurons in our brains, but octopuses do not claim the Nobel Prize, and their intelligence is enough for everyday needs.

For example, in Indonesia, octopuses collect coconut shell halves before a storm, and then use them as a shelter: they climb into one half and cover the second. And Gene Boal, a behavioral researcher at Millersville University who studies the internal life of octopuses, is convinced that octopuses are perfectly able to communicate and transmit specific signals. When she tried to feed the experimental octopuses with rotten squid, one of them caught her eye and pointedly thrust the squid into the waste bin.

Still, there is some kind of aristocracy in blue blood!