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Why an octopus needs three hearts

An octopus has three hearts. Two send blood through its gills, which collect oxygen from the water. The third sends that blood around the body.

A protein in the blood carries oxygen. It contains copper, which makes the blood blue.

The extra hearts are not backups. They work on different parts of the route that gets oxygen into the blood and around the body.

Source: smithsonianmag.com

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