Which substance, popularized in television culture, aggravates a man-of-war sting by causing cnidae to discharge toxins?
Answer
Urine
Scientific testing has definitively debunked the anecdotal remedy involving the use of urine for treating man-of-war stings. Along with other substances like cola, alcohol, lemon juice, or baking soda, urine was clearly shown to aggravate the situation significantly. This aggravation occurs because these substances interact negatively with the nematocysts (cnidae), causing them to discharge even more of their potent toxin payload into the victim's tissue, thereby increasing the severity of the envenomation.
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