Cnidaria Anhang

Vergleich: Siehe: Coelenterata.x

Cnidaria shoot out harpoon-like stinging hairs called Nematocysts/stun prey by injection of toxins and thereby aid in the ease of capture.

have a single body cavity with digestive, excretory and respiratory function.

= fluorescent/symbiosis with single-celled green algae species.

All Cnidarians have cnidae or nematocysts, specialized stinging cells. They have a single body cavity that serves as stomach, lung, intestine, circulatory system and everything else. There is one opening (the mouth) into this cavity, through which all water, food, and gametes pass in and out. It is surrounded by a few or many tentacles, finger-like or filamentous projections which are usually studded with nematocysts. They are active in capturing food and transferring it to the mouth, and may be used defensively, too.

Sea anemones are members of the Anthozoa class incl. hard and soft corals/live attached to firm objects, generally the sea floor, or embedded in its sediments.

An anemone's mouth points generally away from the substratum, and is surrounded by relatively short tentacles. Unlike most other anthozoans, sea anemones lack skeletons

of any sort and are solitary. Other anthozoans, such as corals, commonly exist as colonies, with many anemone-like individuals attached to one another. Each cylindrical individual is called a polyp. Members of the other three Cnidarian classes may exist as non-motile polyps

or as free swimming medusae - like the jellyfish, which is simply an upside-down polyp lacking a skeleton, free to swim in the open sea, with somewhat lengthened tentacles.

Cnidarians are carnivores that stun their prey with stinging cells loaded with nematocysts. These stinging cells are activated through a simple neural net, and biologists are studying Cnidarians for insight into how the nervous system evolved.

These animals possess specialized structures with tentacles that contain a wide variety of toxins, which are used in the capture of prey, as well as for defence against predators. Among these toxins, the peptides that act by binding to the ionic channels (voltage-gated sodium channels), are the substances most extensively studied and characterized.

These toxic sea anemone peptides may act predominantly as cardiac stimulants or as neurotoxins according to the degree of affinity with the isoforms of cardiac or neuronal sodium channels.

The pharmacological effects of some anemone peptides on the nervous system have also been studied.

Studies with some sea anemone toxins, like granulitoxin, the neurotoxic peptide from the sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera have produced seizures in rats.

The Stoichactis kenti cytolic toxin, kentin, has proved to have the effect of a central stimulant on mouse brain monoamines producing fighting behavior. However, still

with respect to the pharmacological effects on the central nervous system, no electroencephalographic (EEG) studies have been conducted thus far using sea anemone peptides.

[Jo Evans]

Evolution of the senses

We carry, in evolved and adapted forms, the sensory structures of ancient sea creatures within us. The bones of our middle ears evolved from the gill arches of reptiles,

the origins of our sensory organs, nervous system, brain and immune system originated in forms of sea life.

The traditional five senses normally applied to human beings know no boundaries in sea life; more than five senses operate in the oceans, electric and magnetic senses being two of them. Early animals, such as jellyfish, provide clues to the story of the senses. Smell and taste are chemically infused; touch and smell melt fluidly into taste; movement, balance are linked to sound and touch.

Homeopaths work with the connection between language and sensation. We work with the script of the case: the exact words of the patient describing how they feel as reflected in the words of homeopathic proving experiments. Each remedy speaks in emotional and physical symptoms, but by paying attention to the language of the senses, the homeopath can approach the essence of a case with greater clarity.

Jellyfish, Coral and Sea Anemone Remedies (Cnidarian Remedies)

- Corallium rubrum (Red Coral) Anthozoa.

- Anthopleura xanthogrammica (Giant Green Sea Anemone) Anthozoa.

- Stichodactyla haddoni (Haddon’s Sea Anemone) Anthozoa.

- Physalia pelagica (Portuguese Man of War) Hydrozoa.

- Medusa or Aurelia aurita (Moon Jellyfish) Scyphozoa.

- Chironex fleckeri (Box Jellyfish) Cubozoa.

Common Sensations of Cnidarian Remedies

Burning, stinging. Pins and needles, electric currents, tingling, throbbing, pulsing.

- Feels like jelly, weakness, collapse of structure, numbness, empty.

- Itching, crawling.

- Dislocation, dismemberment, disorientation, disabled.

- Beaten.

- Swelling, enlargement, elongation.

- Squeezed, pinched, compressed, constriction, pulled, drawn backwards, pressed downwards.

These can naturally include real pains and also delusions as to the nature of the body.

Characteristic Sensations of Cnidarians

- Heat and Burning; external burning and internal coldness

- Electrical shocks, pulsating pains, pins and needles, numbness

- Stitching/stabbing

- Dislocation (Corallium rubrum)

- Lack of substance, dissolving, collapsing, weakness with trembling, like jelly

- Floating or flying sensations or dreams

A Sense of dislocation

In the homeopathic remedies made from jellyfish, coral and sea anemones, there is a sensation of dislocation. The body may feel dismembered, dislocated, spineless.

The group has an affinity with neurological disease and conditions involving weakness, such as post viral fatigue syndrome and ME; with the endocrine system (pineal, pituitary and adrenal glands), after long or short-term stress, with illnesses and symptoms that relate to feeling ‘burnt out’.

The initial phase is hypersensitive, hyperactive, speedy, living on adrenaline, and a tendency, like the mythical Medusa, to ‘lose their head’. In the next stage, the patient

may describe feeling ungrounded, floating, not quite in their body, disorientated. In the later stages they are heavy, exhausted and numb, and emotionally cut off.

There is a sense of unreality and inability to make contact with the environment.

Yet, there is also a sense of inner vision and the ability to see beyond reality. These are remedies of extremes: fast and slow, heavy and light, joyous or apathetic, ultrasensitive OR numb with burning symptoms. Cnidarian remedies burn brightly, then burn themselves out.

- Emotionally impulsive: they “lose their head”. Ultra sensitive, overwhelmed by emotions, uncontrollable reactions.

- Burnt out, with nervous exhaustion and neuromuscular complaints.

- Strong desires and aversions. Highs and lows. Intense, burning sexual desire. Violent passion.

- High sensitivity to pain, intolerant generally.

- Stinging others: critical, contemptuous. Dictatorial, abusive, angry. Lack of empathy.

- Violence: beaten, broken, forced-apart sensations. Aggressive. Desire to fight or hit.

- Delusion of being outside the body, ungrounded, double.

- Weakening of boundaries and inhibitions; as if drunk.

- Altered perception of time and distance.

- Inner vision and clairvoyance; prophetic dreams.

- Feeling detached, as if watching oneself from outside, or above; dreams of espionage.

- Light: Fluorescent colours, green. Photosensitive. Sensation of incorporeal light.

- Darkness: dark mood, black cloud, shadow.

- Right-brain: impulsive, timeless, creative, lateral thinking, visual, intuitive, sees the whole picture before the details, able to encompass many things at once.

- Left-brain action is less capable: difficulty with calculating, writing, logic; confusion.

- Over-reacting, oversensitive, quick. OR Numb, distant, detached, slow.

- Desire for music, dancing, laughter, joyful OR Unable to enjoy. Aversion to the sight of others’ enjoyment. Laughter is irritating.

- Sensitive to rudeness OR can be rude, abusive, intolerant.

- Lack of adaptability OR Go with the flow.

- Connected, enlightenment, lightness, floating, filled with light, tranquillity, bliss OR Separation, cut off, darkness, heaviness, depression.

Physical Affinities: Cardiovascular. Immune. ME, post viral fatigue. Endocrine system (pineal, pituitary and adrenal glands). Neuromuscular. Arthritis. Urethritis. Skin urticaria, oedema, eczema, ulcers, herpes. Gastrointestinal: diarrhoea, poisoning. Dehydration, sunstroke, photosensitivity. Cough, whooping cough, sinusitis and tonsillitis.

Cnidaria (incl. sea animals: jellyfish, anemones and corals). What distinguishes this phylum is the presence of specialized stinging cells, cnidoblasts, (Cnidaria means nettles) which shoot out harpoon-like stinging hairs called nematocysts. Nematocysts stun prey by injection of toxins and thereby aid in the ease of capture.

The phylum Cnidaria is divided into three classes Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa and Anthozoa.

Anthopleura xanthogrammica is in the class Anthozoa. Cyndarians were previously classified as Coelenterata. (Gr. for hollow intestine); members of this group of invertebrates have but a single body cavity which serves to provide digestive, excretory and respiratory functions. This anemone, along with most other common temperate shore anemone species, is a member of the Actiniidae family

Habitat and Range:

There are over 1.000 species of anemone that inhabit the world’s oceans and the bulk of these are found in the tropical reef habitat. Anthopleura xanthogrammica makes its home in the ocean’s intertidal areas and can tolerate much colder waters. It can be found in the low intertidal to sub-intertidal zone, inhabiting tide pools, rock crevices and surge channels, along the exposed rocky shoreline of the Pacific coast ranging from Alaska to Panama. They also are found to a sub tidal depth of 100 feet. Giant green anemones are often found inhabiting pools within or below mussel beds (Mytilus californicus and Mytilus trossulus). This sea anemone is usually solitary, and will exhibit aggressive territorial defence against rival anemones. However, where conditions permit, groupings of many individuals living in close proximity to each other do also occur. Anemones are largely sessile and tend to stay in one spot unless the location becomes unsuitable for some reason. They can move by slowly creeping along on their suction

cup foot, or as in the case of an attack, can uproot themselves and swim away to a new location.

‘Swimming’ is achieved by muscular contractions that create a flexing motion which serves to propel the animal through water.

Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum