I haven’t found a topic about this yet so sorry if it has been discussed.

I’m not up on by biology but, If they can heal a person by giving blood from Claire, dose that mean that the power is in the person’s blood, not the brain?

If that is true dose that mean that Sylar is not a brain eater but a vampire?

the brain (actually the heart but the brain control the heart) produce blood, so it is the brain that produce healable blood.


Now, what about, it is in the gene...

And what will that mean for HRG? Will he be a super now?

I think a few characters have stated that the DNA holds the individual's power (for example, Mohinder said that Peter's DNA was like a sponge). In which case both blood and brain would hold the power. It's just that Sylar's ability enables him to see how the brain works, so he can use that to take abilities.

Well, I'd bet that the writers/producers got away from their original premise to progress this specific storyline. It was always stated that the power resided in the brain, hence Claire's and Peter's Lazarus imitation. Now, with the whole cellular regeneration thing, it would seem a nice extention to assume that the blood has healing powers and will effect healing on its own, sure, why not.

Well, I started this whole discussion on the possibility that this blood renders immortality to those who are transfused with it here, on the previous episode's discussion thread.

To parse it down, the blood has to have power, regardless of what the brain is doing. There are certain blood cells which contain DNA, therefore, those cells are likely responsible for the healing. If the cells are indestructible, since the host is indestructible, then one could make the argument that once transfused, the new host is now immortal, too, which I am. I'd love to continue that discussion here, as well.

Ok say that the DNA holds the power.
The DNA is in the brain and blood.

So if I get some DNA from Claude I could be invisible. These doses not sound right.

All that you would need is a hair sample from a subject. It has the persons DNA in it.

I always appreciate your more scientific analysis of the show. I noticed that you seem more restrained in doing so lately. Have you given up trying to hold the writers/producers to a high scientific standard?

Yeah. I really don't hold the writer's to a super high scientific standard because it's really just a television show, and while scientific accuracy would be nice, a lack of it definitely does not ruin the show, after all, it's based on superpowers...

But I would have to say, that the powers are not necessarily centralized anywhere really. It is an expression of genetic code, and so with different powers, it may manifest itself in different cells. For cellular regeneration specifically, it's probably in every cell, that every cell can reproduce rapidly as well as specialize like a stem cell. As for Sylar, like it has probably been said, he can probably figure out how the power works, by looking at the brain, since the DNA, and biological requirements for the powers are probably expressed at least to some degree in the brain, especially mental powers, and super hearing, and other sensory powers.

The writer's are intentionally unclear as to how exactly Sylar obtains his abilities, for both the possibility of "brain eating", and perhaps to avoid scientific scrutiny and demand by viewers.

I'll give this a shot: A person's bone marrow is what produces blood that has DNA. If I remember correctly, some genetic diseases are healed via marrow transplants so that the new marrow produces "good" DNA that hopefully will overrun the "bad" one. So a blood transfusion might bestow some temporary power, and a large transfusion might last a long time, but will still eventually be diluted as the new blood cells die out, as blood cells are wont to do. Does this entirely apply to blood cells that are indestructable and can't die? Maybe that person will indefinitely retain some sort of regenerative abilities, but I would imagine it would be very watered down.

Yes, I sound a bit on my high horse when I do that and I'd promised that I'd stop. But I will inject a bit of medical reality here and there so as not to confuse the medically naieve here and to provide some education to those who are interested. So, now I try to frame my discussions in light of what the writers are trying to show and sometimes I can't quite figure that out and actually need help from the more medically uneducated point of view (I don't mean that in a negative way) so that I can see the story and enjoy it from that POV.

I do think the discussion regarding whether or not the blood holds power and what the effect and duration of that power is both a discussion of the science of the show and an attempt at identifiying the limits that we know must exist on these powers. Plus, it relieves me of the boredom of discussing why Mohinder is such a doofus.

No, that's not my argument. This discussion only relates to the so called cellular regeneration or super healing that both Adam and Claire possess (and Peter, to an extent). I would make the argument, in this case, that the brain holds the ability to heal, but it is the blood that actually does the healing. Both the brain AND the blood hold power for this specific ability. So, it's obvious that the blood holds some power for healing, and when transfused still retains that power. And, since the cells are from someone who is immortal, then one may make the assumption that those cells are immortal, too, and if so, will impart that same immortality to the person.

And taking the DNA from a person to obtain their powes is essentially what Sylar does, no? Only he uses the brain, since that is the center of the power, and whatever it is that he does with the brains, he has to absorb some of the person's DNA to obtain that power, so, in a way, a character can absorb the DNA and retain that power, if that person has the special ability to do that particular thing.

The show is science fiction, with more of an emphasis on fiction than science I would say.

DNA has played a large role in the show's theme, and as this is the building block of both brain and blood, is probably where the true power resides. Having said that, it seems Claire is only able to regen when her brain is unblocked -- meaning, her power seems intricately bound to her brain. In fact, there was no blood flowing in her until the coroner removed the twig...

Plus, it seems this DNA is 'activated' by celestial phenomenon. They say that when the moon is full, we're actually (incrementally) taller on those days than others -- the moon's gravitational pull is strongest and therefore has a very minute effect on our biology, making us taller. So perhaps there is something to these heavenly bodies having effects on us...

DNA causes people to be able to heal. But, there is one huge difference: Dna doesn't do _anything at all_ in itself. Cell has to function in a way it is programmed by the DNA, but the existence of the DNA is quite trivial once the this function has been built. Problem is that according to Sylar, Dr. Suresh and writers overall, the ability is some kind of special structure built in brain that grants a person an ability to use TK.

And so, in order for this cute little blood to have any effect at all, those cute blood cells would have to build the damn control system for TK(Not completely impossible, but really far-fetched), as their 'curing ability' is just that, information on how to build a body that can regenerate fast.

I mean, you just can't find any good explanation for this magical healing power. It's just against the laws of Heroes-universe, no matter how you look at it.

And it even grants all the characters immortality. Not good.

I agree...I think only Adam's blood can cure.

It seems as though Bob must have already knew this, having spent most of his career around Adam in jail. They must have tested Adam's blood at some time, especially since Adam knew for sure his blood could cure. So why go after Claire?

I edited my post a bit, I thought I explained my idea in a bad way in earlier version.

Anyway, this does apply to Adam too: According to the laws of Heroes-verse, Adam shouldn't be able to do what he's doing.

Quite right, but it is there, nonetheless, and fodder for interesting discussions, now.

I agree that DNA doesn't do anything in and of itself. It is the program by which the organism thrives. I think that the writers are stating that the Heroes have a special little bit of DNA which provides these powers. I have no belief that they have even an inkling of what DNA does, but it does seem that they are using it as the source of the Heroes' special abilities (which is why Mohinder has such a definite role, but now..well). So, that being said, the same DNA that resides in each brain cell, also resides in every nucleated cell in the body. So, it's likely that the segment of DNA which activates each Hero's power is active in the brain, but those with healing abilities also have some part activiated in those nucleated blood cells, hence the power of the blood to work. At least, that's how I am interpreting the writer's plan here, and thus, my argument of why the blood should also be immortal.

The problem with trying to analyse things scientifically is that the whole point of Heroes is that these things are happening outside of conventional science as people know it today. That's why Chandra Suresh was ridiculed.

All of the science stated in this thread applies to "normal" humans. But surely all the people with abilities have something different or extra in their DNA/blood/brain that conventional science knows nothing about?

I'm not sure about the healing blood thing. I don't see how Claire's blood could resurrect Mr Bennet - but I'm glad it did! I do think it's a clever plot device if they use it in the way I think they should: which is that they could now assume that Claire or Adam's blood cures all ills, and then they try and use it to combat the Shanti virus, only for the virus to use it for its own needs, adapt it and kill 93% of the population.

Surely only Sylar can steal people's powers by taking the brain? His power is to see how things work and use them for himself.

brilliant post, especially the idea that the virus would adapt the healing dna for its own ends. that'd produce a pretty much unstoppable strain (you could argue its already "adapted" Niki's superstrength, becoming too strong for mohinder's blood to cure it. I say could coz, it's a bit flimsy).

but yes, all the science in this which is impossible can be mostly explained away with these extra genetic components that the supers have. they defy science, because if they were possible, we'd have superpowers in real life. that'd be pretty cool, though.

I still say that the Company got ahold of Mohinder's blood and made the virus incurable by it. They didn't want him getting away, they still want Claire, so they did what was necessary to negate his ability to heal it. That is my wife's theory and I agree with her on that.

I think the "gene" is in the DNA, and you have DNA throught your ENTIRE body, coursing through your blood, everything. LoL.

So it might be "centered" in the brain ((why, idk...)) but for the most part, it's just DNA.

DNA pretty much just maps out everything for your body...

That's all I remember from biology. Sorry. LoL.

This does bring up the "Then why didn't Sylar just take their blood?" question, but from a scientific standpoint, there are a few loopholes. LoL.

Except when Claire got a stick through the head, she couldn't regenerate.

Think they've contradicted themselves here a bit.

That also has to do with the brain controlling responses within the body.

Without the brain, the heart wont work.

Think of it as paralysis.

Once you break that region of your spine, your brain is cut off from controlling that part of your body.

Same with when Claire got that stick stuck in her head. It cut her brain off from being able to control the regenerative state.

Both!

i say that the powers come from DNA, and, going on a case by case basis here, uses different parts of the body as the medium in which to express the power...

So, since DNA is in pretty much everything in the body, there's no reason why the blood cannot have the same healing properties as the power...

as for why the power stopped for claire when she had the stick in her head, it's just like what one of the posters said above... the brain controls the body's functions... anything happens to the brain, we're pretty much SOL (shift outta luck)...

so, you hurt your brain, stick in head lol, you lose your power (or just die, but meh )

---edit: I'm a dummy and already said this here. I thought I was posting in a different thread---

Heres' an idea, maybe everyone is taking it too literal? The idea of "powers coming from the brain" is a fairly open-ended idea. I know I'm sounding vague, so let me try some theory/analogy/specific application:

-Say the brain, has a structure that generates a certain Electro-Magnetic field. You might think, if the brain is destroyed, the EM field will go away too right? But there is no reason it has too. It's possible this mutation might create an INDEPENDENT electro-magnetic field, that once created, is not reliant on the brain structure that created it. The power would still ORIGINATE from the brain, but it could exist without it (in much the way a child originates from his mother but becomes an independent being).

-The analogy could be, say a radio tower, or a helicopter. Destroying a radio tower doesn't hurt the radio waves it has broadcast, they go on forever. A helicopter must be built on the ground with machines/tools, but after it's built, it can leave the ground (at least for a while, this isn't a perfect analogy).

-The specific application? Say you had a certain EM field that modified/maintained your biology. We'll call you Adam. Now say, you stacked up a tent-full of gunpowder, blew it up, and reduced your entire body to paste/vapor. Your brain is goo, it has no organs/structures in it to generate any field at all. Fortunately, that EM field has a limited independence, and is able to pull your body back together before the field fails. The field modifies every part of your body for enhanced regeneration, even your blood.

Really, how else can you explain that? If it relied on a structure in the brain... I'm sorry, but go set off a crate of dynamite and then tell me how much of your brain is intact. My bet is, not a lot.

PS: As for the blood healing him, think about steroids. You can take steroids out of a horse and put them in a person. The person's biology will certainly react to the steroids, and change. But the person does not become a horse, and their body does not begin producing steroids. The steroids, a normal part of the horse's biology, become a temporary enhancement drug when put into a person. In other words, I doubt HRG is immortal now, unless he gets a regular supply of Clairoids.

So here's my idea...

is obvious so far the abilities comes from the DNA, they say it constantly, wich means it's in the blood, skin, hair, any part of the body cause the dna is everywhere, and maybe the blood is the easier way to induce the ability to a person.

Now sylar ability is seeing how stuff works, maybe he sees it through the brain and maybe he doesn't but that's the way he considers going to the core of the machine(person) as he did to clocks by tearing them apart.

Peter for some cosmic reason he's just near someone and adquires the ability.

Now this is what i wonder... now that Noah has claire's blood and healed, Nathan has adam's blood and healed... does this mean they have the ability to heal, and if they do, doesn't this make them a bit inmortal as adam is now? and also if they acquired the ability by a blood donation, can they get any ability from any heroes blood? for all we know the company can be kidnapping all the heroes to make a gigantic pool of power bloods to make a lethal army .

Again, check out my post above yours for the steroids comparison. It's not likely to be permanent.

Proof: They had access to Adam's blood for 30 years. If it was the key to immortality, they would have all taken some, and he wouldn't have been able to kill all of them (well most of them, but you see my point)

All the heroes have the same gene - Claire got it from Nathan who got it from Angela, etc. - but it expresses itself with different abilities it each of them. Just having that gene in your DNA does nothing, it gives the brain the ability to manifest some superhuman power -- and the creation and control of that power still resides in the brain. that's why Sylar had to access the brain, he already had the gene but needed to see how someone else's brain used it in order to gain that ability himself... Peter can manifest any ability for the same reason -- he already has the gene, but for him the power he initially had was to copy the create/control structures related to it from anyone nearby...



I would suggest that the brain function (in the case of Claire and Adam anyway) uses the blood as a transport mechanism -- it's obviously important -- and for them the blood is probably pre-programmed to heal, but cells are constantly dying & being replaced and the regen ability doesn't change that -- it speeds it up when needed, even beyond normal limits (ie. replaces body parts as well as heals) & side-steps the fact that normal replacement cells are "older" ... the specific Claire/Adam blood may impart that ability while the cells live, but blood cells are replaced from the marrow -- they don't reproduce themselves and the rapid healing ability doesn't do a complete biology rewrite -- so those cells will die expecting to be replaced (like the toe Claire cut off), and the transfusee will be back (more or less) to normal... In fact, if removed from contact with the regenerator's brain for an extrended period it probably "forgets" how to heal -- which is why the company didn't stockpile Adam's blood, it needs to be "fresh".

At least that's my take on it.

This makes complete sense to me.

I really hate to go away from my original argument, but I have been giving this topic a bit of thought over the last couple of days, and I think the above poster's post hits on the best reasoning. The brain controls the power, but the blood the ability to heal, not necessarily healing itself. Say the cells live out their normal lifespan, but the DNA creates some soluble 'healing factor' that is generated when they recognize injury. The cells aren't immortal, but instead produce an agent which heals. So, that can answer the questions surrounding the whole immortality thing, as well as not placing the writers in a hole later. So, I'm going away from the premise that the blood imparts immortality to the recipient, but at least it provided a basis for discussion, which, at the least, has provided some interest in this topic.

invisifan,

Overall, good work. There are four genes which have been identified (I'm certain that this has been pointed out), not one. I agree, the brain is the source of the power. The immortals' power is imparted to their blood, but the ultimate source of their power is still their brain (the object of our resident head-hunter's desire).

Creator

siskel,

"Peter, for some cosmic reason, [when] he's... near someone...acquires the[ir] ability."...because, as an empath (power absorber), that how his particular power works.

And, yes, I agree that Sylar (the head-hunter), with his base power of 'intuitive aptitude' knows how things work and knows the the source of the power is brain-centered [and thus is series supported]. Good work.

Creator

If the brain is the source of the power and uses blood to transport the regenerative effect, this idea can be extended to explain how the brain power of DL and Hiro can reach out to phase and teleport other people. It wouldn't be blood but something like electromagnetic energy. We never discussed if the co-phased or co-teleported persons gained the respective power so why such a hoo-hah with the blood?

FutureMuggles,

We agree.

Creator

For the umpteenth time, SYLAR DONT EAT BRAINS! He opens them up and looks at them and then reworks his to match. The potential for anyones abilities is in their DNA. That means, if they have an ability, it is in their whole body (blood, brain, little finger...etc.)

I know this has been done to death, so sorry. But has someone official said that he definitely doesn't eat brains? Some posters seem very certain that he doesn't. I think he does.

Where do the brains go if he doesn't eat them?

Why did Mr Bennet tell him that the infusion of so much DNA had sent him bonkers? OK, I'm paraphrasing the bonkers bit.

Why did Sylar tell Eden he was going to consume her power?

There's a fair amount of evidence that the people with abilities all have the same relevant DNA, but what power they have is controlled by their brain -- which is why that's what Sylar is after. It's been subtly implied that he incorporates that control by eating their brains, but I suspect the producers don't really want to test the TV censors by getting any more explicit.

Just shouting it doesn't make it true, you know. SYLAR ABSORBS BRAINS THROUGH HIS HANDS. Did it work - no. YOu spec is as valid as anyone else's but not fact.

hmm... that's a good point. I'm trying to think about what Chandra said, but I'm drawing a blank.
My theory is that the powers are in the brain, the brain holds the DNA and what not, as does the blood.

Mohinder said that Peter's DNA was like a sponge - that's how he absorbed others' abilities. And when he was studying Sylar's blood he said that there were four something or others (can't remember!) that were the key/source of all abilities.

If Sylar took Claire's brain he would have her power - because that's how his power works. I think if anyone else took her brain nothing would really happen. Her blood may or may not have healing properties, but it is not the source of her power.