Cnidarian Lesson

cnidodyte

an explosive cell containing one large secretory organelle called a cnidocyst (also known as a cnida ( pl. cnidae)) that can deliver a sting to other organisms

nematocyst

a specialized cell in the tentacles of a jellyfish or other coelenterate, containing a barbed or venomous coiled thread that can be projected in self-defense or to capture prey

polyp

a growth on or in an organ in your body 

medusa

one of two principal body types occurring in members of the invertebrate animal phylum Cnidaria

ectoderm

one of the three primary germ layers formed in early embryonic development

endoderm

the innermost layer of cells or tissue of an embryo in early development, or the parts derived from this, which include the lining of the gut and associated structures

mesoglea

a jellylike material between the endoderm and ectoderm of sponges and coelenterates

gastrovascular cavity

a structure found in primitive animal phyla

tentacles

a slender, flexible limb or appendage in an animal, especially around the mouth of an invertebrate, used for grasping or moving about, or bearing sense organs

nerve net

the simplest form of a nervous system found in multicellular organisms

planula

the free-swimming, flattened, ciliated, bilaterally symmetric larval form of various cnidarian species and also in some species of Ctenophores