Stinging hairs on a nettle leaf

  • Liz Hirst, Medical Research Council
  • Digital Images
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Stinging hairs on a nettle leaf. Liz Hirst, Medical Research Council. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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The surface of a stinging nettle leaf. The large stinging hairs are hollow tubes with walls of silica making them into tiny glass needles. The bulb at the base of each hair contains the stinging liquid that includes formic acid, histamine, acetylcholine and 5- hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). The tips of the glassy hairs are very easily broken when brushed, leaving a sharp point, which easily pierces the skin to deliver the sting. Biomedical Image Awards 2006.

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