Ants do not have lungs and instead breathe through a network of tiny tubes called tracheae that distribute oxygen directly to their cells via spiracles on the sides of their bodies.

A closer look

Ants do not have lungs and instead breathe through a network of tiny tubes called tracheae that distribute oxygen directly to their cells via spiracles on the sides of their bodies. Because they lack a centralized respiratory system, these relentless insects are severely limited in how large they can grow before they simply suffocate under their own mass. It is deeply comforting to know that this physiological bottleneck is the only thing preventing ants from evolving to the size of a dog and completely dominating humanity in a horrifying, mandibles-first global takeover of the planet!