How does a jellyfish sting? - Neosha S Kashef
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-does-a-jellyfish-sting-neosha-s-kashef You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg.
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You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful, gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch? Jellyfish are soft because they are 95% water and are mostly made of a translucent gel-like substance called mesoglea. With such delicate bodies, they rely on thousands of venom-containing stinging cells called cnidocytes for protection and prey capture. Even baby jellyfish, the size of a pencil eraser, have the ability to sting. Larval jellyfish, ephyrae, look like tiny flowers pulsating in the sea. As they grow, they become umbrella-shaped with a bell at the top and descending tentacles around the margin. The largest species of jellyfish, the lion's mane, has tentacles that...
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You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful, gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch? Jellyfish are soft because they are 95% water and are mostly made of a translucent gel-like substance called mesoglea. With such delicate bodies, they rely on thousands of venom-containing stinging cells called cnidocytes for protection and prey capture. Even baby jellyfish, the size of a pencil eraser, have the ability to sting. Larval jellyfish, ephyrae, look like tiny flowers pulsating in the sea. As they grow, they become umbrella-shaped with a bell at the top and descending tentacles around the margin. The largest species of jellyfish, the lion's mane, has tentacles that...
