Nematocyst

thingiverse

A jellyfish or coral stinger, the nematocyst, is found in Cnidaria cells. It possesses poisonous harpoons that swiftly fire to catch prey or deter predators. This model depicts the nematocyst in three stages of discharge - from the inverted harpoon within the capsule, through pressurization and operculum opening for eversion, to full thread extension lodged in flesh. Created by Daniel Newman, a student at Rhode Island School of Design, during his internship with Amy Bartlett Wright, this model pays homage to anatomical relief models. For more stories on biology's surprises, visit CreatureCast.org; thanks to Stefan Siebert and Bryn Bliska. The model was printed using a Makerbot Thing-O-Matic, raft being beneficial for better results.