Zombie Survival: Do's and Dont's

Fungi said:
Good questions raised, we'd assume that something has happened to the internal systems of the zombie which mean they are no longer dependent on the normal foods which we eat, and now they eat flesh for sustenance. Flesh is high-fat and protein, this would drive their metabolic functions. The fact that their heart is no longer beating means that they would need to eat a large quantity of this for it to be distributed around the body by diffusion (travelling through the circulatory system without the blood flowing from where it's in high concentration to where it's in low concentration).
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I would still consider human flesh "normal" foods as their is nothing special about it, but that is beside the point. I don't understand the idea of eating more will drive metabolic functions. Is this becuase more nutrients are available to be absorbed? if the heart isn't pumping i don't understand how anything would be able to get around the body. Im sure i missed something that you said that explaind this.
 
Fungi said:
Good questions raised, we'd assume that something has happened to the internal systems of the zombie which mean they are no longer dependent on the normal foods which we eat, and now they eat flesh for sustenance. Flesh is high-fat and protein, this would drive their metabolic functions. The fact that their heart is no longer beating means that they would need to eat a large quantity of this for it to be distributed around the body by diffusion (travelling through the circulatory system without the blood flowing from where it's in high concentration to where it's in low concentration).

Zombie children should be able to grow and mature, provided that the replication of the cells through mitosis replicates the new cells as new zombie cells, complete with everything inside it also being zombie. However, in the normal functions of viruses, the virus bursts from the cell after replicating, rupturing the host cell and ultimately being responsible for the death of the host organism. Many viruses, however, taking the tack that "A good parasite does not kill its host" have learned to 'bud' from the host cell, taking with it a portion of the cell's outer membrane. If the virus were to somehow regulate this replication process so as not to destroy the host cell.

The virus is an obligate intracellular parasite and depends on its host entirely to function, so it would, if it was able to keep itself in check, survive in the host as it grows. Children can mature, and perhaps if the zombies got their act together, they could reproduce sexually as humans do.
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This may be true of a T virus infected, but again, we're talking a whole new artificial form of zombie. It is more akin to an infected human, with a modified or supplanted mitochondrial structure, and an ATP/ADP independant musclature. In the more traditional forms of romero or solanum Z, cellular function has all but ceased. No tissue will heal, and nothing like digestion takes place. Reproduction is handled by biting. Material consumed will eventually be pushed through the tract and expelled as more material takes it's place.

T virus and other forms of zombification are apples and oranges.
 
Material consumed will eventually be pushed through the tract and expelled as more material takes it's place
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Malefic put it nicely, the sheer quantity of flesh consumed allows the cells to continue their functions as as soon as a cell is full up of the foodstuff, it can't take any more so it passes on.

Maybe the T-virus and other forms of zombification are intrinsically different but comparisons can still be drawn between certain parts.

cellular function has all but ceased. No tissue will heal, and nothing like digestion takes place
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I find it hard to wrap my head around this, though, the T-virus suggests that cellular functions do still take place, albeit with a new internal structure.

Perhaps we're arguing a moot point, the only thing most aspiring zombie hunters need to remember is "Remove the head or destroy the brain"
 
Fungi said:
I find it hard to wrap my head around this, though, the T-virus suggests that cellular functions do still take place, albeit with a new internal structure.
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That's correct. Essentially, the T virus does'nt create zombies. It creates mutant sub humans. Or mutant human super sets if that makes it easier. But you're building those super sets out of dead tissue, so we call them zombies. It's over generalization to lump Resident Evil and Dawn of the Dead in the same catagory, but hey, it all ends when you push a bullet through the brain.

For more on building super sets through mitochondrial modification, try looking up "parasite eve". Mitochondria were once independent organisms after all...
 
Doesn't the T virus reanimate the dead also? so then they are zombies different but similar to DotD zombies. But today's movies usually involve infected humans which has come to be recognized as zombies. If you want to get technical the only real zombie is the voodoo zombie. It's all a loose association of crazy flesh eating humans lol(which a voodoo zombie doesn't do).

I also find it hard to believe that zombies can't heal themself, it's reanimated flesh.....so why wouldn't they be able to heal themself. Make take longer then a normal human but i see no reasoning to prove that they can't heal themself.
 
Mitochondria were once independent organisms after all...
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Very good point, interestingly so the chloroplasts which photosynthesise in plants also were once 'indipendent' organisms
 
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Malefic23 said:
Heh, another remake of Invasion of the Body snatchers? That's what, three movies based off the old Bradberry story?
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yup....classic
 
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