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What Color Is a Lobster’s Blood?
As humans, we all bleed the same color, but have you ever wondered about other animals? Lobsters, for example, are different from most other animals because their blood is colorless. So why does their blood appear bluish at times?
An oxygen-transporting protein known as hemocyanin is a component of lobster blood. When exposed to oxygen, the copper content in hemocyanin causes the colorless blood to turn blue. Therefore, a lobster deeper in the ocean, where there is far less oxygen, will have blood that is clearer than a lobster closer to the surface.
Other animals bleed red due to their levels of hemoglobin, which is rich in iron. Regardless of blood color, however, the benefits of blood are the same. Blood transports nutrients such as vitamins, sugars, minerals, fats, and proteins around the body to where they are needed.
Learn more about lobsters:
- A nine-pound (4.1-kg) female lobster can carry over 100,000 eggs. She carries the eggs inside for up to 12 months. Then she carries them under her tail for an additional 9 to 12 months.
- A lobster grows by molting – shedding its shell. During the first seven years of a lobster’s life, this process will occur up to 25 times.
- Tomalley – lobster liver – is considered to be a delicacy. The liver turns green when cooked.
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![When exposed to oxygen, a lobster’s colorless blood turns blue, because it contains copper.]()
By: vpardiWhen exposed to oxygen, a lobster’s colorless blood turns blue, because it contains copper.
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