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Why doesn't dried nettle sting? Why do nettles sting? Nettle that doesn't burn

Nettle is a plant that has been known since ancient times, a kind of “nipper dog” among the biological kingdom of plants. Few people have not experienced its burning tingling and itching on the skin after accidental contact with it. Even rubber gloves and thin layers of clothing are not afraid of this sultry grass.

Why do nettles sting?


In fact, this effect of nettle on external stimulus- This is a method of self-defense from herbivores. The latter, knowing about this ability of nettles, avoid the bushes of the plant. The stem and leaves of nettle are entangled on top with thin, barely noticeable to the eye, and very sharp fibers that easily pierce the skin of humans and animals, and when broken, remain in it. The villi contain juice.

The composition of the juice is formic acid, histamine and vitamin B4. When the villi enter the skin, the juice flows under the skin and causes a burning sensation in the pierced area. The juice acts as a kind of poison, but for humans this dose does not pose any particular danger. On the contrary, from such an injection, blood circulation in the body increases and blood begins to pump faster through the vessels, removing excess waste, toxins and other debris that is harmful to humans from the body. It’s not for nothing that one of the popular brooms in the bathhouse is bath procedures- from nettles. After 7-10 visits to the steam room with such a broom, the blood becomes clear, like that of a healthy small child.

Galina Fundurak

Research"Why do nettles sting?"

Supervisor: teacher of MBDOU No. 25 Fundurak. G.V.

Researcher: Orobei Veronica 5 years old.

Target: get acquainted with beneficial properties nettle

Tasks:

1. Find out why are the hairs on nettle leaves special?? What's inside them?

2. What happens to them when we touch nettle?

3. Why it’s useful nettle?

Hypothesis: Suppose that when you touch nettle, hairs can damage the skin and cause irritation.

Methods research:

experienced research activities

Hello dear adults and children. My name is Orobey Veronica, I'm 5 years old, I go to senior group kindergarten No. 25. My research topic called"Why do nettles sting?"

“Oh, don’t touch me! I’ll burn you without fire!”

What is it? (nettle)

As soon as they don't scold nettle, which is only guilty of knowing how to defend itself.

But nettle and delicious, and useful. Cows, goats, sheep, and pigs would happily eat it. Just go and touch her. But if nettle chop it up and scald it with boiling water, the feed for livestock will be such that, as they say, you won’t be able to pull it away by the ears.

Got it nettle and our table. Long since young nettle they cook borscht, make salads, even ferment it like cabbage.

And in the old days from fibers nettles made fabric, ropes, fishing nets.

Nettle used in cosmetology. Do nettle lotion, shampoos, hand cream.

Nettle - dye.

From the roots nettles make yellow, and from the leaves - green paint.

I wanted to check for myself if this was true. Mom and I brewed leaves nettle When the infusion was infused, a gauze cloth was placed in it. After holding the fabric for some time in this infusion, I saw that it had acquired a dark green color.




Well, if nettle is so beneficial, why does it burn so much? How nettle burns without fire? After all, it doesn’t seem to have sharp thorns or thorns?

I was interested in this question. And we spent with the teacher Galina Vasilievna research work.

We looked at the branch nettle. and noticed that its stems and leaves were covered with some kind of hairs that were barely visible.

Then we decided to consider the twig nettles under a microscope. And they saw that the hairs were on the branches and leaves nettles are very sharp. Similar to the needle of a small syringe. When you touch nettle, these hairs can damage our skin.


But why does a burn occur?. it was still not clear. We put on gloves and crushed the twig. nettle and looked at her again.



Some hairs were broken. Some liquid was leaking from them.

Galina Vasilyevna explained that this is formic acid.

Conclusion:

Hairs nettles are so sharp, which immediately digs into the skin and breaks, and that same “burning” flows out from inside, causing blisters to appear on children’s hands and feet, and tears in their eyes. It turns out Why does nettle burn even without fire?!

Thank you for attention!

Publications on the topic:

Municipal autonomous preschool educational institution kindergarten general developmental type No. 6 “Zvezdochka” 142001, Moscow region. ,.

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What kind of green bush does it bite if you touch it?

Everyone knows this bush: both children and adults, because its burns are very unpleasant and unexpected. The burn site becomes covered with bright spots or even blisters, it hurts and itches. Such a burn does not cause any harm. It happens that people specifically sting nettles to get its acid, because this acid is good for health.

This acid contains many microelements and vitamins.

Why same does the nettle sting?

This is a kind of protective reaction of nettle, as it protects itself from herbivores.

The leaves and stems of this plant are covered with stinging hairs. The hairs are very thin and sharp, and inside each hair there is content resembling a medical ampoule. At the moment of contact with the skin, the tip of this “ampoule” breaks off and the acid it contains is poured into the wound, which was formed by an injection with a sharp hair. It is this acid that causes irritation and burns on the skin. To make irritation or burn go away faster, you can briefly immerse the stung area in cold water or apply a sorrel leaf to it. If you pick nettles bottom part the stem, the one that is closer to the ground, burns can be avoided.

Nettle is a very useful plant

A very tasty and vitamin-rich soup is made from it. Also, nettle is widely used in folk medicine: Nettle decoction stops bleeding and cures many diseases. Shampoo with nettle extract is very good. Nettle is a valuable food for domestic animals and birds.

If you wrap fish or meat in nettle leaves, they will not spoil longer. In addition, the fibers of this plant can be used to make coarse fabrics for rope and bags.

Nettle is a plant that has been known since ancient times, a kind of “nipper dog” among the biological kingdom of plants. Few people have not experienced its burning tingling and itching on the skin after accidental contact with it. Even rubber gloves and thin layers of clothing are not afraid of this sultry grass.

Why do nettles sting?


In fact, this effect of nettle on an external stimulus is a method of self-defense from herbivores. The latter, knowing about this ability of nettles, avoid the bushes of the plant. The stem and leaves of nettle are entangled on top with thin, barely noticeable to the eye, and very sharp fibers that easily pierce the skin of humans and animals, and when broken, remain in it. The villi contain juice.

The composition of the juice is formic acid, histamine and vitamin B4. When the villi enter the skin, the juice flows under the skin and causes a burning sensation in the pierced area. The juice acts as a kind of poison, but for humans this dose does not pose any particular danger. On the contrary, from such an injection, blood circulation in the body increases and blood begins to pump faster through the vessels, removing excess waste, toxins and other debris that is harmful to humans from the body. It’s not for nothing that one of the popular brooms in bathhouses during bath procedures is made from nettle. After 7-10 visits to the steam room with such a broom, the blood becomes clear, like that of a healthy small child.

Nettle is a flowering plant belonging to the nettle family, which includes sixty genera and a huge number of their varieties. Some of them do not burn the skin...

Nettle is a flowering plant belonging to the nettle family, which includes sixty genera and a huge number of their varieties. Some of them do not burn human skin at all, for example, dead nettle (white nettle) or Ramie nettle. But contact with others can cause not only fainting, but also death. These include Laportea stinging, Laportea giant, Laportea mulberry, as well as the nettle tree (ongaonga), which grows in New Zealand.

In our conditions, the most widespread are stinging nettle and stinging nettle, which are not only scorching weeds, but also medicinal plants rich in vitamins and microelements. They have anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, hemostatic, sedative and many other beneficial properties. They are used to make medicines and are also eaten (salads, soups, etc.).

Why do nettles sting?

On the leaves and stems of nettle there are barely noticeable, very thin and sharp fibers, which in natural growing conditions are used by the plant to protect itself from various herbivores. Each hair has a stinging (protective) cell, such as in a jellyfish. One milligram of the plant contains up to one hundred of these cells, the composition of which consists of histamine, choline, serotonin, acetylchodine and formic acid, which determine their burning effect. If we translate the name of nettle from Latin language(urtica), then it turns out – “I’m burning.”

Each nettle villus is a large cell, similar to an ampoule, the tip of which contains silicon salts. At the slightest touch, the end instantly breaks off and the sharp edge of the villus easily pierces the skin, injecting the burning contents. This process ends in irritation or nettle burn, due to which a strong burning sensation is felt. You can avoid getting it when handling the plant (for example, while weeding) by carefully grasping its lower part or using protective gloves. The hairs will be tightly pressed to the stem and will not be able to cause harm.

Is a burn harmful?

The burn usually doesn't cause much harm, it just causes blisters that cause a burning sensation and then an unpleasant itching. Usually its effects disappear after a few hours. In order to speed up this process, you need:

  • Ten minutes after receiving a burn, you need to wash the burned area with soap and water.
  • Soak the burned skin area in cold water or apply ice to it for a while.
  • Apply a paste of baking soda to the skin and cold water.
  • You can also use sorrel or impatiens leaves, the alkali of which suppresses the effects of the stinging acids of nettle.
  • Helps remove well painful symptoms aloe vera juice or concentrate.

Nettle sting can be dangerous if a person is allergic to the stinging substances of the plant. When signs are detected allergic reaction(rash, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea) you should consult a doctor to avoid more severe consequences.

Answers in Russian for a poem about nettles (why do nettles sting)

The poem about why nettles sting, authored by the famous Serbian poet Jovan Jovanovic-Zmaj, is often used in school curriculum in Russian language for 3rd grade. This poem for children was translated from Serbian by Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak.

Evil nettle stings more painfully if you take it too politely.

If you take it without timidity, the evil nettle stings less.

Troubles and torment are less tormented if you take them firmly in your hands.

The poet does not at all encourage touching nettles, since this is not only unpleasant, but can also be dangerous for children. His poem is an image. Adversity and difficulties act as evil nettles, and if you give in to them and are afraid, it will be even more difficult. This is why, according to the author, nettles can burn.

Parsing pronouns

The proposed poems are well suited for tasks in the Russian language to find and analyze pronouns. A pronoun is a part of speech. It points to words but does not name them. The origin of this word is associated with the phrase “instead of a name.”

Personal pronouns include:

  • I/we (point to the one who is speaking);
  • you/you (to whom the address is addressed);
  • he/she/it/they (who we are talking about).

This part of speech has person, number and, in some cases, gender. For personal pronouns, gender is determined only in the 3rd person singular. Other types of such pronouns do not change by gender.

Analysis of a pronoun as a part of speech covers the following features:

  • initial form (what is it derived from);
  • part of speech (pronoun);
  • type or rank (personal);
  • face;
  • number;
  • gender (if possible to determine).

For the poems written by Jovan Zmaj, the Russian language textbooks give the following task: “Read, find the pronouns. Parse them as part of speech." There are 3 of them in the work (her, you, them). As for parsing, it might look like this:

  1. "Her". It is a personal pronoun derived from the word “she”. Refers to the 3rd person singular feminine. A short entry might look like this: n.f. she, local, personal, 3rd person, unit. h., female genus.
  2. "You". This personal pronoun is already in its initial form. Belongs to the 2nd person plural. Does not change by birth. Brief entry: n.f. you, local, personal, 2nd person, pl. h.
  3. "Their". Also applies to personal pronouns. Derived from the word “they”, 3rd person, plural. The genus is not determined. Briefly: n.f. they, local, personal, 3rd person, pl. h.

Looking for spellings

Another task that is often suggested for the above verses is the search and designation of spellings. First you need to remember what this concept means.

Spelling is the writing of a letter (part of a word) in accordance with the rule. It's about about cases when letters can be written incorrectly. Usually the spelling is underlined by one line. In some words there may be several such dubious letters.

The text of the proposed poem contains the following letters that are difficult to write (they are indicated in brackets):

  1. It burns (e). By ear, the letter “o” is identified in the word. To avoid a mistake, you need to find out whether the letters e/e alternate. The word “burn” proves the possibility of alternation, which means it is written “e”.
  2. More painful (oh, b). There is an unstressed vowel at the root of the word. For correct spelling it is necessary to change the word so that the emphasis falls on the disputed letter. The words “hurt” or “pain” would be suitable. Soft sign is also an orthogram. It gives softness to consonants.
  3. Take/take(e). In these verbs there is an alternation of vowels in the root. The rule for this case is that if the suffix “a” is absent, then it is written “e”, and if it is present, then it is written “i” (takes/chooses).
  4. Courteous (Thu). In the indicated letter combination “b” is not written, since the letter “ch” always has a soft sound and does not require softening.
  5. Take it (b).
  6. Not timid (space, o). The correct spelling of the letter "o" is questionable. The test word is timid. In addition, there is also a spelling gap (separate spelling).
  7. Weaker (a). An unstressed vowel at the root can be perceived by ear as both “o” and “a”. The test word is weak.
  8. Less(s).
  9. Torment (e). To check the spelling of an unstressed “e,” the adjective “tortured” is suitable.
  10. Firmly (p). Consonants in the middle of a word can be misspelled if they are located next to each other. To check, you need to change the word so that a vowel appears after the consonant. In this case, the appropriate option is to secure it.
  11. In your hands (space).

Thus, using the poems of the Serbian writer Jovan Zmaj translated by Marshak in tasks in the Russian language, you can practice recognizing and parsing pronouns, repeat spelling patterns and the rules corresponding to them, and the proposed answers will help you better prepare for lessons.

How to treat a nettle burn

Many have encountered such a nuisance as a nettle burn. Young thorny shoots that appear in spring and early summer are especially hot. It is at this time that seasonal work on personal plots begins, and then not a single person is safe from encountering an aggressive plant.

“Evil” nettle stings more painfully. Stinging nettle is one of the types of this plant that can be found in Russia. Another species is stinging nettle. People affected by these plants should not worry, since such nettles do not threaten their life and health. There are about 50 varieties of this plant in the world. And some of them actually contain toxic substances.

Mechanism of action

Let's try to figure out why nettles sting. This is how it manifests itself defense mechanism a plant that protects itself from herbivores who want to eat fresh greens. There are numerous stinging hairs on the leaves. Their function is to pierce the body of an animal or person at the slightest contact. Therefore, we can say that nettle does not just sting or prick, but actually bites.

The cellular sap of sharp hairs contains various caustic substances, which is why nettle has a burning effect on the skin. First of all, it is formic acid. In nature, it is found in pine needles and fruits; it is secreted by jellyfish, bees and ants. Another burning component is histamine, a neurotransmitter that can cause inflammation. In addition, the juice contains choline and serotonin.

The consequences of contact with the plant appear immediately. The pain can be quite strong and sharp. The reaction of young children who do not understand why nettles “bite” can be especially unpredictable. But discomfort pass quickly. A few minutes are enough for the pain to go away. However, a nettle burn leaves unpleasant consequences on the skin. The dermis turns red, swells and itches. Subsequently, characteristic blisters appear on its surface. Usually they are not dangerous and pass within 1-2 days without causing any harm to the body.

Benefit or harm?

Despite the fact that a nettle burn does not pose any immediate danger, it can cause unpleasant symptoms in young children and people prone to allergic reactions. To possible negative consequences from nettle “bites” include: increased heart rate, increased body temperature, general weakness, shortness of breath. On the affected skin swelling and swelling may appear.

However, herbal medicine experts are confident that nettle can bring much more more benefits than harm. The burning plant is widely used in medicine. For example, it is used to treat and prevent such unpleasant diseases as rheumatism and arthritis. The fact is that during a burn, blood rushes sharply to the site of injury. Thus, blood circulation improves in the affected area and adjacent tissues and the work of blood vessels is stimulated. And formic acid contained in nettle effectively relieves pain.

According to traditional medicine experts, nettle therapy improves human immunity. Some people specially use brooms made from the stinging shoots of the plant. They claim that after such a procedure they are not afraid of any diseases.

Nettle has long been known in Rus' as a beneficial food product. It can be dried or eaten fresh. Young shoots of the plant contain many vitamins and are added to salads. Fresh or dried nettle, which can no longer burn, is traditionally used in preparing first courses.

Treatment methods

Work to eliminate the consequences of contact with nettles should begin with the removal of sharp fibers. To do this, it is recommended to rinse the affected area with plenty of cold water. Precisely cold, since hot can only aggravate the situation. Ice cubes can be used instead of water.

Another method can also be used. A handful of clay soil should be mixed with water and the resulting composition should be applied to the skin. After some time, it is removed dry along with the hairs. Then, for the purpose of disinfection, the skin must be anointed with a solution of alcohol (boric, salicylic or camphor) or hydrogen peroxide. Use a cotton swab or bandage for this.

If a nettle shoot burned one of your loved ones or you yourself were “bitten” by an aggressive plant, microtrauma can be treated with both medication and folk ways. But, as in many other cases, a comprehensive technique is most effective. First of all, you need to relieve redness and eliminate itching. In this case, ointments Menovazin, Butadione, Prednisolone, and Fenistil gel will help. To mitigate the effects of an allergic reaction, doctors recommend using antihistamines: Claritin, Suprastin, Zodak, Cetrin.

Helps well in the field medicinal plants, which can be found almost everywhere. This horse sorrel, horsetail, plantain. The green leaf of the plant should be moistened in water and kneaded well in your hand so that the juice begins to stand out from it. Then the medicine is applied to the sore spot and held for several minutes. The work of such a compress is to relieve inflammation and reduce discomfort.

At home it is recommended to use ordinary baking soda, mixed with water. This paste is applied to the affected area of ​​the skin. After holding it for some time, it is washed off with plenty of water or removed with a cotton swab.

A proven anti-inflammatory agent is the juice or pulp of the aloe vera plant. It will help quickly relieve redness and irritation. Milk and sour cream - folk remedies, which are more often used when sunburn. But they will also be useful for healing wounds from nettles.

The sooner first aid is provided, the faster the consequences of the burn will be dealt with. This is especially true if rashes appear in a child. If after 24 hours the swelling has not gone away and the affected area continues to itch and itch, you should consult a doctor.