Final answer:
Invertebrates such as mollusks, crustaceans, and annelids have hemolymph, which carries different oxygen-binding pigments like hemocyanin in mollusks and crustaceans, and hemerythrin in some annelids.
Step-by-step explanation:
Organisms that contain hemolymph instead of blood include various invertebrates. Hemolymph is a mixture of blood and interstitial fluid that is found in insects and other arthropods as well as most mollusks. Three examples of organisms that contain hemolymph are:
- Mollusks (utilize hemocyanin, a blue-green copper-containing protein)
- Crustaceans (also use hemocyanin)
- Annelids (use hemerythrin, a red, iron-containing protein)
These organisms employ different respiratory pigments, such as hemocyanin, which binds oxygen using copper, giving the hemolymph a characteristic blue-green color.
In contrast to hemoglobin found in vertebrates, hemocyanin found in mollusks and arthropods is not carried in blood cells but is free-floating in the hemolymph. Finally, some polychaete worms and annelids use hemerythrin for oxygen transport, although its oxygen-carrying capacity is inferior compared to hemoglobin.