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Body
by Jell-o
Jelly Home
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| Bell |
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The
jelly's bell is the closest thing it has to a body. Underneath
the bell, in the center, lies the only way in or out of a
jellyfish - its mouth. Once inside, we find no brain, no heart
and no spine - just a simple stomach and four gonads, or
reproductive organs. In every other scallop along the edge of
the bell, we find a bundle of sensory nerves. This bundle allows
the jelly to detect light, smells and stay upright while
swimming. In some jellies the bell is home to tiny crab or fish
hitchhikers. |
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Tentacles
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Fringing
the bell is a row of tentacles. These vary in length from the
slight fringe of the moon jelly to the longer tentacles of some
pelagic jellies, which might reach over 100 feet. Jelly
tentacles are used in food gathering and are covered with
thousands (or in some cases millions) of stinging cells called nematocysts. |
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| Oral
arms |
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Four
oral arms hang from the middle of a jellyfish's bell,
surrounding its mouth. Oral arms are also covered with stinging
nematocysts. These cells contain a hollow, barbed thread that
fires on impact or in response to a chemical cue. Many are
toxic, used to paralyze or kill their prey. The most toxic, the
box jelly (or sea wasp) can kill a human being in minutes.
Others, such as the moon jelly , won't even cause a rash. |
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