Can Matoran Get Cancer

[CeeCee]

I don't know much about Matoran anatomy, but I know they are part organic. I would take it that in these organic part, they would have cells, which would multiply to become tissue, which would multiply to make organs, and so on.So if they have cells, whats to stop them from getting a mutation which would stop that cells growth control? Could they not get tumors like us Humans do?Also can a Matoran pick up viruses/diseases?And can Matoran live for ever, as long as they aren't killed?

[Rarity]

What made you ask this?It seems possible, but no matoran ever got cancer, and I doubt Lego would add cancer to the story.

[CeeCee]

What made you ask this?It seems possible, but no matoran ever got cancer, and I doubt Lego would add cancer to the story.

Im doing Biology at A level, and we are learning about this stuff. It just got me thinking.Oh and I just mean potentially.

[Toa Nidhiki05]

I don't know much about Matoran anatomy, but I know they are part organic. I would take it that in these organic part, they would have cells, which would multiply to become tissue, which would multiply to make organs, and so on.So if they have cells, whats to stop them from getting a mutation which would stop that cells growth control? Could they not get tumors like us Humans do?Also can a Matoran pick up viruses/diseases?And can Matoran live for ever, as long as they aren't killed?

In theory, organic cells in any being can become cancerous. Beings in the Matoran universe can indeed get sick, mentally and physically, and they do have organic parts and organs. Unless the Great Beings created the organic material in such a way that it couldn't become cancerous, there isn't really any reason they couldn't get it.As for life span, it is impossible to tell at this point. There are beings such as Helryx, Artakha, and others that have been alive since the Matoran Universe's creation, which is over 101,000 years ago, and in The Kingdom universe, they were alive for well over 111,000 years, just as powerful and active as they were back then. SM species have been known to have died naturally, but we don't know if they can in the MU because we don't have a large enough sample size, basically.-TN05 Edited September 27, 2012 by Toa Nidhiki05

[BioGio]

If Matoran have cells, then they can get cancer. The major difference here would be the spread of cancer in Matoran. Since it appears that they don't have any circulation to their organic cells, it presumably wouldn't spread.They can also contract viruses and diseases, although we would not recognize these illnesses. They may be akin to human diseases, but they would certainly be different.Finally, Matoran can die naturally, according to Greg, but it takes well over a hundred thousand years.By the way, biology is a totally cool field of study. Oddly, it was a biology course in which I learned the most chemistry. Gotta love it.(Funny, there's a St. Jude's donation advertisement currently playing on the TV I'm watching.)~ BioGio

Edited September 28, 2012 by BioGio

[25K Now!]

Well yes, seeing that they'll have cells and what not due to being partly organic. Don't know if they spread though. Probably have some resistance to it as well. The Great Beings wouldn't let the beings responsible for the workings of the MU die so easily.

[fishers64]

I doubt that the Bionicle universe has the chemicals, etc that react to form cancer. Also, it is not confirmed that Matoran have DNA, which damage to causes cancer. They can probably get illnesses, but it wouldn't be cancer specifically.

[bonesiii]

Well, cancer is caused by the limiting mechanisms on growth functions breaking. We do know that Matoran Universe organics grow. Greg said that when they rebuild themselves, the muscles grow to reform to the new shape. And when the Toa Mata put themselves together, most of their muscles had decayed and likewise had to regrow.Therefore, if the limiting mechanism could break, cancer could result; uncontrolled growth.But I don't think Bionicle organics are portrayed as quite as complex as ours, at least the protodermic kind. It may be more like muscles getting crazy big, making temporarily making them look like body builders and granting extreme strength. Until they outgrow their metal components and kill them.

[Maphrox: Toa of Polygons]

It's possible, but it's questionable whether or not it would be lethal. Considering how good Matoran muscle seems to be at re-growing when needed, it's entirely possible that just cutting off the cancer tissue and waiting for the normal tissue to regrow would be enough, and then there would be no more cancer.

[bonesiii]

It's possible, but it's questionable whether or not it would be lethal. Considering how good Matoran muscle seems to be at re-growing when needed, it's entirely possible that just cutting off the cancer tissue and waiting for the normal tissue to regrow would be enough, and then there would be no more cancer.

Good point. That would help explain why they consistently live so long. It's possible it does happen, but they can much more easily get rid of it than us.

[The Legendary TNT]

Well do matoran have cellular organic tissue? It could be protodermic. If they don't have cells, then they don't get cancer specific.

[bonesiii]

We just know that it's protodermis and that it behaves in at least some ways like organic material. Given that protodermis is capable of mimicking the physics of a wide variety of real-world substances, it's possible it's not using actual cells. Or maybe the pieces of protodermis bunch together to make pseudo-cells.My cyberclay theory originally proposed that each protodermis molecule is naturally a "proto-cell"; that its lifelike qualities are normally dormant, explaining the name ("dermis" means skin), so to make organic protodermis the dormant parts are simply activated. If this is true, then each molecule may technically be a cell.But regardless, not technically having cells does not mean they can't get cancer. It's still organic and we know it still grows. Cancer is out-of-control growth in organics, at its most basic definition. Whatever they have sounds similar enough to cells that it theoretically could have similar effects as real-world cancer, if someone didn't deal with it in time.Though that doesn't mean they MUST be capable of getting it.Perhaps the growth doesn't operate from a system within the organics like ours but rather a minor Life power, which would probably be much less likely to break just a limiter function rather than breaking as in ceasing to function entirely (preventing any growth at all). If the normal organics systems and the growth system are highly separate, cancer would IMO be unlikely. Might not be capable in that case of holding enough Life energy to make too much mass, for example, and might not be capable of consuming surrounding tissue to feed the tumor, etc.

[Dralcax]

Well, if their digital "DNA" did get corrupted somehow, I'm pretty sure there's a diagnostic that can recode the damaged data.

[CeeCee]

Well yes, seeing that they'll have cells and what not due to being partly organic. Don't know if they spread though. Probably have some resistance to it as well. The Great Beings wouldn't let the beings responsible for the workings of the MU die so easily.

Actually, you raise a good point. Cancer on earth, and i hate to say this, is basically a population control. Matoran are made, so there would be no risk of that

[Podu]

It's possible, but it's questionable whether or not it would be lethal. Considering how good Matoran muscle seems to be at re-growing when needed, it's entirely possible that just cutting off the cancer tissue and waiting for the normal tissue to regrow would be enough, and then there would be no more cancer.

"Oh I have lung cancer. Let's cut off my chest and reconnects it like the Toa Mata did and let the tissue regrow..."Idk why but this idea amuses me.

[Makuta Matata]

I'd imagine that Glatorian and Agori would be a lot more susceptible to diseases than MU Inhabitants.

[Anoroka Orokau]

I doubt that the Bionicle universe has the chemicals, etc that react to form cancer. Also, it is not confirmed that Matoran have DNA, which damage to causes cancer.They can probably get illnesses, but it wouldn't be cancer specifically.

I agree that we do not know if Matoran have DNA. Because their organic tissue is made of a form of Protodermis, we can assume it has special properties that probably protect them from diseases. But we do know that they do get sick. on Mata Nui, the Po-Matoran were infected with Makuta's darkness that caused illness.