Cnidocyte

Real World Example

Imagine you're at a crowded party, trying to talk to a friend, but you keep getting interrupted by people bumping into you. Just like you might instinctively move or react when someone jostles you, a cnidocyte, or stinging cell, of a cnidarian responds when triggered by an external stimulus, like contact with prey. In this analogy, your reactive movement is like the cnidocyte's response, the crowded party is the environment where the cnidocyte operates, and the people bumping into you are akin to the prey or objects that activate the cnidocyte's sting.