Stinging hairs on the stem of a stinging nettle,Urtica dioica. The sting comes from the longer hairs (the short ones are harmless); these have silicified tips which break off when the nettle is brushed against or stroked (not grasped). The sting penetrates the skin,injecting a mixture of acetylcholine & histamine; the former is a neurotransmitter substance normally produced at nerve terminals,the latter a chemical mediator normally produced by mast cells & responsible for many of the unpleasant symptoms of allergic reactions | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Hart-Davis, Adam |
Taille de l’image : | 3890 px × 4762 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |