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nematocyst
[ nem-uh-tuh-sist, ni-mat-uh- ]
noun
- an organ in coelenterates consisting of a minute capsule containing an ejectable thread that causes a sting.
nematocyst
/ nɪˈmætə-; ˈnɛmətəˌsɪst /
noun
- a structure in coelenterates, such as jellyfish, consisting of a capsule containing a hollow coiled thread that can be everted to sting or paralyse prey and enemies
nematocyst
/ ĕ′ə-ə-ĭ′,ĭ-ă′ə-ĭ′ /
- One of the minute capsules in the tentacles of cnidarians, such as jellyfish, hydras, or sea anemones, used for stinging. The capsule is produced by a special cell (called a cnidoblast) and contains a tightly coiled barbed thread that quickly shoots forth if the capsule's lid is disturbed. The thread often contains poison.
Derived Forms
- ˌԱٴˈپ, adjective
Other yvlogs From
- Աa·ٴ·t adjective
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of nematocyst1
Example Sentences
Now a team led by Matt Gibson and Ahmet Karabulut of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Mo., has used cutting-edge imaging technology to study nematocyst firing in very fine detail.
The tentacles are carpeted with hundreds of thousands of specialized cells, each harboring a capsule called a nematocyst that can fire a microscopic harpoon at speeds of more than 60 kilometers per hour.
The lid on Polykrikos’s nematocyst overlays a complicated, three-ringed structure not found in cnidarians that the scientists termed a “nozzle”.
It contacts prey before the nematocyst and sits atop the nematocyst like the final stage of an Apollo rocket, connected to it by a newly discovered “linker” organelle.
It does not appear that the nematocyst of Nematodinium actually fires like a Gatling gun, rotating, with only one barrel active at a time.
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