Zalanthan Urine

[Lohan]

Thinking about it seriosuly; Zalanthan bodies would probably retain water MUCH better than your average Earthling. Then again they would have to get rid of the nitrogen and urea (so as to neutralize the anabolic ammonia process and maintain liver health). However this brings up an important question for myself.
Would Zalanthan bodies have evolved to where they use Uric acid instead of Urea in the process of expelling waste, since Zalanthans have such a large restriction on their water consumption?

That would mean that Zalanthan Urine was darkly colored and smelled REALLY bad. But on the Flip side that means that if a Zalanthan didn't get enough water he would get gout.

Anyone else thought about this? Or am I just Weird?

[Bestatte]

Or you could assume that humans on Zalanthas aren't human like they are on Earth, have absolutely nothing to do with humans on earth except for visual and reproductive physical characteristics, and their piss is perfectly normal for their race on Zalanthas, without any kind of odd ureaic issues at all since - they're not earthlings. I'll repeat that - since you aren't the only one who tries to compare Zalanthans to humans on Earth (and even I've been guilty of doing it in the past)

Zalanthans are not earthlings.

Their physiology has nothing to do with earthlings. Their digestive system is completely different, because they don't eat the same kinds of things earthlings eat, or live in the same climate earthlings live in, or experience the same moon cycles earthlings experience, have even a remotely similar solar system, nor enjoy a similar system of gravity.

[Revelations]

Not to mention the gigantic insects that would never be possible on Earth.

[Spoon]

So we should force everyone to RP that their pee smells really bad?

As for me, I reckon it comes out green. Go figure.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Their physiology has nothing to do with earthlings. Their digestive system is completely different, because they don't eat the same kinds of things earthlings eat, or live in the same climate earthlings live in, or experience the same moon cycles earthlings experience, have even a remotely similar solar system, nor enjoy a similar system of gravity.

I can't agree with that.  While I haven't admittedly spent much time applying what I learned in highschool science to Zalanthas, I think that the game plays much better if we assume that Zalanthas is equivalent to earth except in instances where the documentation says otherwise.  The day people start telling me to emote that my assassin backstabbed you in the ankle, thus piercing your heart and killing you instantly (or even worse telling me not to be so specific with my emotes because the documentation doesn't say where a Zalanthan's heart is) is the day I say go to hell.

[joyofdiscord]

Hear, hear.  If we wanted to play a game where the characters were 100% alien to anything we know about the human organisms, we could have culture-bearing mantises be the dominant race or something.

Uric acid musings may be a little much, but in general, on the macroscopic scale, I think it's safe to assume that the human body works basically the same way.

[Hexxaex]

So we should force everyone to RP that their pee smells really bad?

The large-bladdered half-giant lowers his pants, and pees out a smiley face on the dune without a nose.

Chuckling lighlty, the other dude says, in sirihish:
    "Ye made a face inna sand, but it got no nose!  How's it smell?"

Eyeing the face open-mouthed, the large-bladdered half-giant says, in sirihish:
    "Awful..."

Lame, I know.

[Synthesis]

Maybe culture-bearing mantises -are- the dominant race...

:shock:

[Cuusardo]

Ugh, I can't wrap my brain around why the color and smell of Zalanthan urine would be THAT important to you.

[jcarter]

Their physiology has nothing to do with earthlings. Their digestive system is completely different, because they don't eat the same kinds of things earthlings eat, or live in the same climate earthlings live in, or experience the same moon cycles earthlings experience, have even a remotely similar solar system, nor enjoy a similar system of gravity.

I can't agree with that.  While I haven't admittedly spent much time applying what I learned in highschool science to Zalanthas, I think that the game plays much better if we assume that Zalanthas is equivalent to earth except in instances where the documentation says otherwise.  The day people start telling me to emote that my assassin backstabbed you in the ankle, thus piercing your heart and killing you instantly (or even worse telling me not to be so specific with my emotes because the documentation doesn't say where a Zalanthan's heart is) is the day I say go to hell.

I agree. I'm sure the game wasn't designed by a biologist with meticulously designed lifeforms. This is just one of those things where we suspend our disbelief.

[Lohan]

**emote shrugs**
So Zalanthans aren't human.....DUH! I was just curious if someone else thought about the biology behind them.

And bugs with lungs.....Scary.
**emote points to a mantis pointedly eating a gith head**

Another thing to think about is that Zalanthan animals would probably have lighter bones than Earth creatures to either give room for more tissues to hold and conserve water OR to cut the amount of work needed to move which cuts heat which cuts perspiration; which helps conserve water.

**emote runs away giggling after stirring the pot**

[Spoon]

Ok, I'm going to come clean.

I don't like these science posts. They're for nerds. Nerds ruined science-fiction by bypassing the fiction part.

I like giant insects. I don't care if they can't diffuse oxygen through holes in their shells. All I care about is the fact they're big, scary, and they eat people.

[Anonymous]

(reply to deleted post removed)

Back to the thread, I'm with ERS.  Except where specifically indicated by documentation I assume that Zalanthan humans are just a cousin of earth humans who have been hardened by a harsh climate.

I also disagree with Bestatte that just by virtue of diet and local climate Zalanthan humans are not essentially the same as earth humans.  If this was true then a Japanese man with a high carbohydrate diet who lives in a temperate zone is a different type of human than a human who lives in Siberia and eats a high fat/protein diet.

[Nao]

I also disagree with Bestatte that just by virtue of diet and local climate Zalanthan humans are not essentially the same as earth humans.  If this was true then a Japanese man with a high carbohydrate diet who lives in a temperate zone is a different type of human than a human who lives in Siberia and eats a high fat/protein diet.

well, there are some differences... people from everywhere get sick from too much iodine, it makes the thyriod work too much... Japanese people eat so much fish and everything that they are adapted. people and animals adapt to the climate where they live with time. that's why africans are usually taller and skinnier than inuit that live somewhere in alaska. that's why animals in affroca generally have huge ears and animals in cold zones are small and fat.

[Lohan]

Spoon said

I don't like these science posts.

Then don't post. Don't try to make me feel stupid for being curious. So you don't care I do.

JustPlayit said

I cant help but wonder what in the fuck some of you people think...This isnt even interesting...."Look at my super bio knowledge, I R cool".

Ok, I show what I am thinking and am met not with adult critique or a dissmissive eye, But instead get a childish answer. Interesting. And I find it interesting so don't post if you aren't interested in it or does flame make you feel bigger somehow? And I can't help it if I am intelligent, and try to figure out the nuts and bolts of how something works and ask if others, if they had similar thoughts.

Thank you Bestatte for adult opinion. I disagree with it since their may be Magick in Zalanthas, But I can't play everything off as Magick in my head.
But thank you I will keep that in mind.

CRW said

Except where specifically indicated by documentation I assume that Zalanthan humans are just a cousin of earth humans who have been hardened by a harsh climate.

Thank you, I think the same thing. There are divisions of human based on their enviroment.

cheers

[Vesperas]

Honestly, I think the topic is giggle-worthy at its worst and entertaining for those who want to talk about the biological differences between the real world and an alternate world where the environment would be different at best.

Just because you feel that you are incompetant of answering the post in a way that either politely humorous (if derailing) or constructively right-on-topic, you shouldn't bash the people who may be interested.

Anyway, I also think of Zalanthan humans as being distant relatives to Earth humans.  

However, elements do not appear in Zalanthas in the same frequency as is on earth -- this is already apparent by the lack of common metals (gold, silver, iron, tin, etc.).  In fact, I don't think I see hardly any transitional metals laying around. On the other hand, there are lots and lots and lots of carbon, sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and some hydrogen.

It would be a safe bet to say that Zalathan humans have a very different chemical makeup.  That said, its not even a sure thing that they produce ammonia.  That's a waste of hydrogens if you ask me... and what can you make with hydrogen?

[Ghost]

However, elements do not appear in Zalanthas in the same frequency as is on earth -- this is already apparent by the lack of common metals (gold, silver, iron, tin, etc.). In fact, I don't think I see hardly any transitional metals laying around. On the other hand, there are lots and lots and lots of carbon, sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and some hydrogen.

Actually it might not be the case.  Metal's being rare could well be because of the lack of technology to extract it from the earth, rather than the element's itself being rare.
The desert ground does not give much chance to mine metal minerals.  It adds to the difficulty of getting metal from earth and putting it into the use.  Yet still, the element could be well there, waiting to be picked up.

Red desert has red sand.  Could well be because of the iron being more dense in the sand there.

[Vesperas]

Zalanthas is Mars, before all that silly Earth evolution crap.

[Salt Merchant]

Uric acid? Reptiles and birds. I'd rather not have my human character emit what's essentially bird shit.

[Stroker]

I actually find topics such as this fairly interesting. That said: there are mammals on earth, specifically the kangaroo rat, that actually survive without drinking ANY water, instead absorbing the necessary amounts from their food source. This, in essence, suggests that their kidneys are far more efficient at concentrating urine than the human kidneys. Seeing as humans on Zalanthas generally require the intake of water to survive, their urine is likely very concentrated, but not to the extent of such a creature. However, to answer the author's question, humans would not adapt to (without OTHER serious physiological differences) using uric acid as a method of waste excretion.

Generally, as stated previously, only reptiles, birds, and insects produce uric acid in any significant amount. While mammals also produce uric acid (in minute amounts), its production does not occur as a result of the degradation of amino acids. In addition, it should be noted that all three groups (reptiles, birds, and insects) are incapable of concentrating their urine to the extent of mammals.

Another thing to think about is that Zalanthan animals would probably have lighter bones than Earth creatures to either give room for more tissues to hold and conserve water OR to cut the amount of work needed to move which cuts heat which cuts perspiration; which helps conserve water.

Kidneys are really -very- efficient in concentrating urine (as shown by the kangaroo rat), therefore, additional tissue for conservation of water would not be required. What would logically occur is that the number of nephrons (basic functional unit of the kidney) with longer loops of Henle (allowing for extreme concentration of urine) would increase dramatically. In humans, only about 1% of the fluid passing through the kidneys is excreted via urine.  

The weakening of bone would not occur as well (especially not if you posit the increase in tissue mass); even while keeping the mass of an organism constant, the weakening of the skeleton would lead to a catastrophic result (the skeleton would not be capable of supporting the organism's mass). However, I suppose that zalanthan bones could be constructed from different elements, and hence might prove more resistant to shear and tensile stress; as a result, they may occur in diminished quantities while maintaining adequate support.

Semper Pax,

Dirr

[Jorlain]

In addition to what Dirr has said, I believe that the gravity would also be a prime factor in how the skeletal structure would be made up. For instance, a higher gravity would require a hardier bone structure to support the sheer weight of the tissue mass. The opposite being the case with a lower gravity.

[Tamarin]

I'd just like to say that I think it's great that this game is vivid enough that people are actually contemplating the quality and make up of its characters' urine.  Does any other mud have that?  I think not.

[Yang]

My thoughts exactly Tamarin.

[Tarx]

I didn't really read over much of this, but I really think everyone is missing the point of the poster's intent:

Why can't my warrior have a super awesome uric acid attack?

"NO!  NOT THE EYES!!"

[jhunter]

*glances over the thread*


*leaves to take a pee*