The Anatomy of a Matoran

[MetaToa]

I would like to bring up the topic of Matoran anatomy, namely to what extent they are organic and to what extent they are mechanical.

 

Also, the plasticity of their bodies and armor is an interesting topic. Three Matoran are able to merge together to form one being known as a Matoran Kaita, and six Matoran are able to merge together to form a Matoran Nui. I have a theory that their armor also has a certain plastic (no pun intended) level, given the fact that in the Matoran Spheres they shrink. What do you think about this? Do you have any theories of your own regarding the anatomy of the Matoran? 

[bonesiii]

This comes up a LOT. Here's a summary of what's come out from past topics.

 

what extent they are organic and to what extent they are mechanical.

85% mechanical/metal, 15% organic. Parts confirmed to be organic are lungs and muscles. Brain is theorized to be organic. (Krana are brains and are entirely organic -- but Matoran/etc. brains might be a combination of organics and machinery, or something like electronic, or perhaps crystalline or something. We can rule out that they're entirely mechanical, at least on the scale of Vahki brain gears.)

 

They have a metal skeleton, joints, pistons (driven by muscles), sometimes gears, and both built-in and additional armor. And of course there's the mask. The heartlight indicator is some kind of machinery. I believe it's been stated they have "audio receptors" instead of organic ears, but I'm not totally sure, and presumably the other senses other than maybe taste/smell are technological. The hand and face magnets are almost certainly not organic.

 

The heart itself is probably technological; its function is also not canonically established although Greg has said he leans toward a mere lubricant distribution pump... personally I prefer some kind of device to distribute energy from the lungs' oxygen reactions to the other organics, especially the brain, and power to the mechanical functions. The energy they send out through their hands to absorb life energy from food is presumably generated by a device in the hands, and it's thought that there must be a total matter-to-energy transformation version in their torso, since they do drink water, and can also (but prefer not to) eat food the way we do.

 

Also, the plasticity of their bodies and armor is an interesting topic. Three Matoran are able to merge together to form one being known as a Matoran Kaita, and six Matoran are able to merge together to form a Matoran Nui. I have a theory that their armor also has a certain plastic (no pun intended) level, given the fact that in the Matoran Spheres they shrink.

That's true, but so could any solid matter if it's controlled by a transformation power. A Toa of Stone for example could reshape a natural (Spherus Magna, normal-matter, non-protodermic) stone. However, it's likely IMO that protodermis is especially ideal for moving the molecules around, since each one is so advanced and probably participates in the motion rather than what Pohatu would have to do with normal-matter rock which would be telekinetically controlling each molecule directly.

 

But normally the metal behaves just like real metal, not changing shape unless some power acts on it (or if something like a firestaff is used to reshape it). It is possible that the organics either have a minor power of reshaping the metal (in that case the shrinking effect could be the pods commandeering the power already in their cells), or of "soaking" into it and physically rearranging its molecules. Or even sending out software commands to the processors in the metal's protodermis molecules and commanding them to rearrange themselves.

Edited July 2, 2014 by bonesiii

[Zidonaro]

I guess whats bonesiii said can be applied to the majority of the MU's species(excluding Makuta).

[MetaToa]

This comes up a LOT. Here's a summary of what's come out from past topics.

 

what extent they are organic and to what extent they are mechanical.

85% mechanical/metal, 15% organic. Parts confirmed to be organic are lungs and muscles. Brain is theorized to be organic. (Krana are brains and are entirely organic -- but Matoran/etc. brains might be a combination of organics and machinery, or something like electronic, or perhaps crystalline or something. We can rule out that they're entirely mechanical, at least on the scale of Vahki brain gears.)

 

They have a metal skeleton, joints, pistons (driven by muscles), sometimes gears, and both built-in and additional armor. And of course there's the mask. The heartlight indicator is some kind of machinery. I believe it's been stated they have "audio receptors" instead of organic ears, but I'm not totally sure, and presumably the other senses other than maybe taste/smell are technological. The hand and face magnets are almost certainly not organic.

 

The heart itself is probably technological; its function is also not canonically established although Greg has said he leans toward a mere lubricant distribution pump... personally I prefer some kind of device to distribute energy from the lungs' oxygen reactions to the other organics, especially the brain, and power to the mechanical functions. The energy they send out through their hands to absorb life energy from food is presumably generated by a device in the hands, and it's thought that there must be a total matter-to-energy transformation version in their torso, since they do drink water, and can also (but prefer not to) eat food the way we do.

 

Also, the plasticity of their bodies and armor is an interesting topic. Three Matoran are able to merge together to form one being known as a Matoran Kaita, and six Matoran are able to merge together to form a Matoran Nui. I have a theory that their armor also has a certain plastic (no pun intended) level, given the fact that in the Matoran Spheres they shrink.

That's true, but so could any solid matter if it's controlled by a transformation power. A Toa of Stone for example could reshape a natural (Spherus Magna, normal-matter, non-protodermic) stone. However, it's likely IMO that protodermis is especially ideal for moving the molecules around, since each one is so advanced and probably participates in the motion rather than what Pohatu would have to do with normal-matter rock which would be telekinetically controling each molecule directly.

 

But normally the metal behaves just like real metal, not changing shape unless some power acts on it (or if something like a firestaff is used to reshape it). It is possible that the organics either have a minor power of reshaping the metal (in that case the shrinking effect could be the pods commandeering the power already in their cells), or of "soaking" into it and physically rearranging its molecules. Or even sending out software commands to the processors in the metals' protodermis molecules and commanding them to rearrange themselves.

 

Wow, thank you. That answers all of my questions and then some.

[Makuta Luroka]

It makes quite a bit of sense, actually. My only issue is that I do not know how the lungs would be of much use if there is no blood to transfer the oxygen around the body.

[bonesiii]

It makes quite a bit of sense, actually. My only issue is that I do not know how the lungs would be of much use if there is no blood to transfer the oxygen around the body.

Reactions with oxygen in the lungs presumably create energy which is then transmitted somehow to the rest of the body. It could be sent from one protodermis molecule's physical connection to the next one (with the heart perhaps as a regulator), or the heart might send it out directly as a controlled forcefield effect. Reaction with oxygen is a very energetic action in real-world cells, and I suspect it works the same in the complex protodermis molecules. Some reaction could go on directly in the muscles (this may be part of why the muscles often are accessible to outside air through gaps in the armor), but lungs that pump air in and out would produce a lot more energy to supplement that.

[Zidonaro]

 

It makes quite a bit of sense, actually. My only issue is that I do not know how the lungs would be of much use if there is no blood to transfer the oxygen around the body.

Reactions with oxygen in the lungs presumably create energy which is then transmitted somehow to the rest of the body. It could be sent from one protodermis molecule's physical connection to the next one (with the heart perhaps as a regulator), or the heart might send it out directly as a controlled forcefield effect. Reaction with oxygen is a very energetic action in real-world cells, and I suspect it works the same in the complex protodermis molecules. Some reaction could go on directly in the muscles (this may be part of why the muscles often are accessible to outside air through gaps in the armor), but lungs that pump air in and out would produce a lot more energy to supplement that.

 

 

Has it ever been confirmed that Matoran don't have blood ? I mean, it would be understandable if they didn't have, but you never know 

[Makuta Luroka]

 

 

It makes quite a bit of sense, actually. My only issue is that I do not know how the lungs would be of much use if there is no blood to transfer the oxygen around the body.

Reactions with oxygen in the lungs presumably create energy which is then transmitted somehow to the rest of the body. It could be sent from one protodermis molecule's physical connection to the next one (with the heart perhaps as a regulator), or the heart might send it out directly as a controlled forcefield effect. Reaction with oxygen is a very energetic action in real-world cells, and I suspect it works the same in the complex protodermis molecules. Some reaction could go on directly in the muscles (this may be part of why the muscles often are accessible to outside air through gaps in the armor), but lungs that pump air in and out would produce a lot more energy to supplement that.

 

 

Has it ever been confirmed that Matoran don't have blood ? I mean, it would be understandable if they didn't have, but you never know 

 

At the very least, they don't seem to bleed.

[bonesiii]

Yes, it's been confirmed many times they don't have blood. I was just reading recent pages of the LMB topic this morning and saw Greg mention it again.