13,525
edits
Vulcan: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Physiology
m (→History: Reunification could still be a thing) |
|||
| Line 49: | Line 49: | ||
==Physiology== | ==Physiology== | ||
For all their external similarities, the internal anatomy of a Vulcan differs radically from Humans. Their heart is located where a Human's liver would be, and beat several hundred times per minute. They possess a highly efficient respiratory system to extract the oxygen they need from Vulcan's thin atmosphere, and are comfortable in high temperatures (a Vulcan of advanced age may become more sensitive to lower temperatures) - natural, given the hot and arid climate of the Vulcan homeworld. They also have no appendix. | For all their external similarities, the internal anatomy of a Vulcan differs radically from Humans. Their heart is located where a Human's liver would be, and beat several hundred times per minute. They possess a highly efficient respiratory system to extract the oxygen they need from Vulcan's thin atmosphere, and are comfortable in high temperatures (a Vulcan of advanced age may become more sensitive to lower temperatures) - natural, given the hot and arid climate of the Vulcan homeworld. They also have no appendix. Vulcans are three times physically stronger than Humans, with considerably faster reflexes. | ||
Their blood is copper-based, and is copper or rust coloured when deoxygenated in the veins, and green when oxygenated in the arteries. Bruises and dermal abrasions take on greenish tinges. The substance trellium-D acted as a neurotoxin to Vulcans, destroying the neural pathways which controlled their emotions. Treatment had to be provided quickly after exposure; otherwise, the damage was irreversible. Vulcans typically had a lifespan of two hundred years or more. | Their blood is copper-based, and is copper or rust coloured when deoxygenated in the veins, and green when oxygenated in the arteries. Bruises and dermal abrasions take on greenish tinges. The substance trellium-D acted as a neurotoxin to Vulcans, destroying the neural pathways which controlled their emotions. Treatment had to be provided quickly after exposure; otherwise, the damage was irreversible. Vulcans typically had a lifespan of two hundred years or more. | ||
A Vulcan often has sensitive hearing, and female Vulcans in particular, a heightened sense of smell. Having evolved on a planet which was mostly desert, Vulcans developed ways of surviving in desert conditions. For example, they could survive for several days without water and had inner eyelids which protected their eyes. Vulcans are also capable of surviving for long periods of time without food, and under stress, can potentially go without sleep for weeks. | A Vulcan often has sensitive hearing, and female Vulcans in particular, a heightened sense of smell. Having evolved on a planet which was mostly desert, Vulcans developed ways of surviving in desert conditions. For example, they could survive for several days without water and had inner eyelids which protected their eyes. Vulcans are also capable of surviving for long periods of time without food, and under stress, can potentially go without sleep for weeks. | ||
===Pon farr=== | |||
Adult Vulcans endure "pon farr", a mating period that affects both sexes, approximately every seven years. This is marked by intense emotions and primal urges that have the potential to kill the Vulcan within a fortnight if not satisfied (known as plak tow, the "blood fever"). The affected Vulcan's cortical levels rise and fall, as the brain's regulatory system appears to shut down when serotonin levels became unbalanced. The imbalance during pon farr can be transferred to others, including other species, through a telepathic mating bond.<ref>[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Pon_farr ''Pon farr''], Memory Alpha</ref> | |||
Certain microbes are also known to trigger pon farr prematurely, and due to the private nature of the pon farr within Vulcan society, [[Starfleet]] doctors only begun to learn of this biological period during the 23rd century. Some doctors may still struggle with the lack of resources regarding pon farr today. | |||
==Psychology== | ==Psychology== | ||