According to a study in the journal Science Alert, scientists noticed a giant jellyfish that lurks in the depths of the ocean for years. In the impression of many people, jellyfish is gentle and beautiful, but this jellyfish is different, and the reason why it has attracted the attention of scientists is because it has a unique toxin on it.
How much do you know about jellyfish?
First, let's talk about jellyfish. Simply put, jellyfish are zooplankton living in water, which can be divided into 3 classes and 5 orders according to different morphologies, habits, etc. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 250 species of jellyfish in the world. Although jellyfish of different classes and different purposes have differences in morphology, most jellyfish are shaped like transparent umbrellas, which look crystal clear and very beautiful.
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From the perspective of body composition, the main component of jellyfish is water. At the same time, they also have two inner and outer germ layers, and there is also a thick medium rubber layer between the two germ layers, and the middle rubber layer mainly plays a floating role. In terms of survival time, they have survived longer than humans. According to scientists, jellyfish appeared on Earth as early as 650 million years ago, and their appearance even predates dinosaurs. In addition, it is worth mentioning that jellyfish are one of the few glowing animals in nature, which makes them more charming and attractive.
Do you know Nomura jellyfish?
The huge jellyfish mentioned at the beginning of the article, whose Chinese name is "Nomura Jellyfish", is based on the Latin "Nemopilema nomurai" translation. In addition, it also has a very special name - "Echizen jellyfish", it is a stingray phylum jellyfish root jellyfish, is an important member of the jellyfish family.
So, how is Nomura jellyfish different from other jellyfish? First of all, from the appearance point of view, Nomura jellyfish are much larger than most jellyfish, and they are the strong men in the jellyfish family, less weak but more fierce. According to scientists, Nomura jellyfish can weigh up to 200 kilograms, which is equivalent to the weight of several adults. According to the current research situation, the Nomura jellyfish is the largest jellyfish in the world.
Secondly, Nomura jellyfish are more toxic. Generally speaking, when stung by a jellyfish, there will be burning pain, redness and swelling in the stung area, but only need to apply anti-inflammatory drugs or use vinegar to disinfect, and it will recover in a few days. But if you are stung by Nomura jellyfish, the situation will be much more serious and complicated.
What are the consequences of being stung by a Nomura jellyfish?
According to the science alert science report, when stung by Nomura jellyfish, it will first produce a strong pain, followed by redness, swelling and other situations. These are relatively mild, and a few people will have shock symptoms after being stung by Nomura jellyfish, and in severe cases, even life-threatening.
Why is the venom of Nomura jellyfish so dangerous?
According to the report, in order to further study the "killing secret" of Nomura jellyfish, scientists have sequenced the genome of its venom, analyzing the composition and principle of venom from both transcriptomics and proteomics.
The test results are complex, and the venom of Nomura jellyfish may contain more than 200 toxins, each of which can cause harm to the human body. The researchers explained that different toxins act on different parts or organs, and together they may bring great health dangers or even hazards to people's body systems.
The researchers conducted a comparative trial
During the course of the study, the researchers arranged a comparative trial. Before the trial began, they cut a small piece of tentacles from the vitally signed jellyfish and placed them in a freezer vessel. Through the tentacles, the researchers collected nematode sacs from jellyfish, a special type of cell that contains venom.
After the trial began, the researchers divided the proteins extracted from the venom into different groups, after which the proteins were injected into mice. The test results showed that different proteins attacked different areas, some rushed directly to the cell membrane, some only targeted potassium channels, and some played a coagulation role.
Combined with the body organs, some focus on blood vessels, which can make blood vessels congested and degenerate, thereby weakening the function of blood vessels. Some are intended to destroy the cells of the liver, kidneys, lungs and other organs, thereby triggering inflammation and causing organ damage.
In general, combined with the situation of the test mice, the researchers believe that the harm of Nomura jellyfish to the human body is mainly reflected in the fact that it can cause human lung infection or human lung edema. In addition, the researchers speculate that there may be more than one toxin that affects human health, but that multiple toxins may coordinate with each other and attack together. In this regard, the researchers said that the situation of Nomura jellyfish venom is very complicated, and it is not easy to develop an antidote.
What are the dangers of Nomura jellyfish?
In the second half of 2009, Japan was invaded by Nomura jellyfish, and Japanese fishermen were miserable. Fishermen living in Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture say the arrival of Nomura jellyfish has greatly reduced their fishing, making it difficult for many to continue their lives. What makes them feel helpless and desperate is that if they are not treated in time, the impact of Nomura jellyfish on the fishery may last for a whole year.
Why do nomura jellyfish affect the fishing industry? According to Baidu Encyclopedia, this is mainly because the food of nomura jellyfish overlaps with the fish that fishermen want to catch. For example, salmon and cuttlefish, which are often caught by fishermen, and after the arrival of nomura jellyfish, these species have become their belly delicacies, and fishermen can't fight, they can't grab it, they can't grab it, they can only do it in a hurry.
What makes the fishermen even more desperate is that the nomura jellyfish eat surprisingly large amounts of food, and they eat a lot of food every day. Moreover, even if they are full and cannot eat, the nomura jellyfish will stick the venom to the animals, so that even the fish that have not been eliminated by the nomura jellyfish for the time being cannot be caught by fishermen. Therefore, the impact of Nomura jellyfish on human beings is not only reflected in its venom that will harm human beings, but also its huge food intake and greedy personality.
So, how should nomura jellyfish be treated?
Through the above introduction, I believe that everyone has a preliminary understanding of the unique Nomura jellyfish. So next, I believe that everyone is very concerned about how to control jellyfish, after all, it is impossible to let them destroy the local fishery. In this regard, the staff of the relevant departments said that it is really difficult to control the nomura jellyfish. Because Nomura jellyfish are large and toxin-carrying, they have few natural enemies in nature, and a comfortable and peaceful environment helps them survive and reproduce, and Nomura jellyfish have emerged in large numbers in many parts of Japan.
Not only Japan, but also the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and other places have also appeared in their presence. At first, the team used the method of hunting to control the number of jellyfish in Nomura, which was thought to be more effective with less. However, it turns out that the reproductive ability of Nomura jellyfish has been underestimated, and when Nomura jellyfish are killed, they will still try their best to expel sperm or eggs from their bodies and let the cells fertilize in the water to ensure the continuation of the race. Therefore, although the method of direct hunting can kill a group of Nomura jellyfish, their descendants will soon grow up again, and the number will not decrease.
Direct hunting didn't work, and experts thought of another way, which was to eat them. Now, after catching Nomura jellyfish, people don't kill it immediately, but make it into food. In Japan, people like to make Nomura jellyfish into jellyfish powder, and then melt the powder into biscuits to increase the toughness and freshness of biscuits. In China's Yangtze River basin, it is customary to make jellyfish from nomura jellyfish. Finally, with the joint efforts of foodies, the problem of noomura jellyfish flooding is no longer so serious.
The researchers have something to say
Nomura jellyfish are powerful and terrible, and I believe that many people's ideas are respectful, as long as we do not take the initiative to contact them, we can be at peace. However, according to foreign media reports, there are still many swimmers or fishermen who are attracted by their appearance every year, and some people even want to have close contact with them, which is undoubtedly a disregard for their own lives.
In this regard, the researchers warmly reminded that the number of nomura jellyfish is large, which means that the probability of humans encountering them is not small, so the risk of injury will increase accordingly. I hope that everyone will not joke with their lives and try to avoid nomura jellyfish.
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《science alert》6月20日文章《This Giant Jellyfish's Venom Is So Complex, Scientists Aren't Sure What Makes It Deadly》