If you’ve managed to go your entire life without encountering the pain of a jellyfish sting, consider yourself lucky. Because jellies are some of the ocean’s most ubiquitous creatures, encounters with them are relatively common, and the consequences of such an encounter can range from mild discomfort to jeopardizing your life.
Although the scale of pain resulting from a jelly sting can vary depending on the species, the method employed by every jelly is the same. The sting is facilitated through the firing of nematocysts, which are bulbous capsules located within a cell called a cnidocyte. These capsules have a long, coiled hollow tube attached to each one that contains the stinging toxin. Outside the cnidocyte cell is a trigger hair called a cnidocil. When this trigger is disturbed, the nematocyst is fired from the cnidocyte, penetrating the skin of the victim and burying itself deep within, where the toxin is then released to subdue the victim.
Scientists have determined that this entire process takes just a few microseconds, which means there is no way to get yourself out of harm’s way once the process has begun. Nematocysts are located in the millions within the tentacles of a jelly, each of which are fired simultaneously when they come into contact with predator or prey, the results of which are highly dependent on the species of jelly. A single nematocyst can be sufficient to demobilize small marine organisms, but hardly produce an effect on humans, whereas the venom within some species, like the deadly box jelly, is powerful enough to cause human fatality in a matter of minutes. A visit to any beach warrants a little preliminary research to find out what kinds of jellyfish may be prevalent in the area, and how to treat a sting if you come into contact with one. These fascinating video shows an animated demonstration of what happens when nematocysts are triggered on the dangling tentacles of a jellyfish.
