The digestive system consists of a branched tube that extends from the mouth to the anus. In the cephalothorax, the tube enlarges to form a stomach with powerful muscles. When these muscles contract, they produce a powerful sucking action that pulls food into the midgut.
Spider digestion is unusual in that it begins outside of the spider’s body. When a spider captures an insect or other animal, it uses its chelicerae to pierce the prey and inject poison into the wound to paralyze or kill the animal. The spider then vomits juices containing digestive enzymes into the wound of the victim to break down and liquefy its body tissue. This liquefied tissue is then drawn through the spider’s mouth and into its body by the sucking action of the stomach. Two mechanical filters in the mouth prevent solid food particles from passing into the digestive system.
From the stomach, food passes into the midgut, which branches throughout the entire body. Enzymes secreted by the midgut further break down the liquefied food into nutrient molecules small enough to pass through the walls of the midgut into the blood. Nutrients can be stored for a long time in the spider’s extensive digestive system, enabling many spiders to go for weeks or even months without the need to catch any prey.
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