Damn straight! I've become a master of decapitation with flying tortillas!Quote:
Originally Posted by UndeadSweeper
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Damn straight! I've become a master of decapitation with flying tortillas!Quote:
Originally Posted by UndeadSweeper
Sniffle-sniffle,.....I LOVE YOU MAN! Now pass me the tissue.Quote:
Originally Posted by UndeadSweeper
No, no señor. Funnier?,...Strike One. Better Shot?,....Strike Two. If Victor had a mini gun,.....What Apocalypse?Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyZombified
Victor didn't screw ANYTHING up,...Michael's just ticked I hit on his girl.
I'm starting to think that Dr. W.I. Roberts isn't actually Ink. He could have been his father and got murdered in his office by Ink for some unknown reason... Hence the police tape. I don't think that we have both walking around as zombies.
"The whole family was devastated." What family? Did Ink kill his own family?
I don't know. A tattooed scientist sounds about as weird IMO, but meh...
my important, science-y pants..i seem to have misplaced them. no? oh well, ill try this noise anyways.
so with this chapter we got yet another clue. yet another piece to the "science of zombie" puzzle.
follistatin
from the wiki
"Follistatin also known as activin-binding protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FST gene.[1][2] Follistatin is an autocrine glycoprotein that is expressed in nearly all tissues of higher animals.[2]
Its primary function is the binding and bioneutralization of members of the TGF-β superfamily, with a particular focus on activin, a paracrine hormone.
An earlier name for the same protein was FSH-suppressing protein (FSP). At the time of its initial isolation from follicular fluid, it was found to inhibit the anterior pituitary's secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)."
now, lets break down this statement.
im not touching the idea of autocrine glycoproteins..thats cellular level b.s. that I don't get paid to look at. we will however jump at the tgf-B superfamily.
from wiki:
"The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily is a large family of structurally related cell regulatory proteins that was named after its first member, TGF-β1, originally described in 1983.[2]
Many proteins have since been described as members of the TGF-β superfamily in a variety of species, including invertebrates as well as vertebrates and categorized into 23 distinct gene types that fall into four major subfamilies:[3][4][5]"
"Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)[6] is a multifunctional peptide that controls proliferation, differentiation and other functions in many cell types. TGF-beta-1 is a peptide of 112 amino acid residues derived by proteolytic cleavage from the C-terminal of a precursor protein. These proteins interact with a conserved family of cell surface serine/threonine-specific protein kinase receptors, and generate intracellular signals using a conserved family of proteins called SMADs. They play fundamental roles in the regulation of basic biological processes such as growth, development, tissue homeostasis and regulation of the immune system.[3]"
based on that..i followed the thought chain to the next sentence.
"Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone found in humans and other animals. It is synthesized and secreted by gonadotrophs of the anterior pituitary gland.[1] FSH regulates the development, growth, pubertal maturation, and reproductive processes of the body. FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) act synergistically in reproduction."
and last, but not least
"A major organ of the endocrine system, the anterior pituitary, also called the adenohypophysis, is the glandular, anterior lobe that together with the posterior lobe, the (posterior pituitary) makes up the pituitary gland (hypophysis). The anterior pituitary regulates several physiological processes including stress, growth, reproduction and lactation.
Its regulatory functions are achieved through the secretion of various peptide hormones that act on target glands and organs including the adrenal glands, liver, bone, thyroid, and gonads. The anterior pituitary itself is regulated by the hypothalamus and by negative feedback from these targets.
Disorders of the anterior pituitary are generally classified by the of overproduction or underproduction of pituitary hormones. For example, an overproduction of prolactin can give rise to a pituitary adenoma (a benign tumour) called a prolactinoma. In hypopituitarism, the anterior pituitary underproduces one or more of the hormones; panhypopituitarism is the condition where the gland uniformly malfunctions and underproduces all of the hormones. Proper function of the anterior pituitary and of the organs it regulates can often be ascertained via blood tests that measure hormone levels."
all this is found simply by checking under the links within the main wiki on follistatin. now, lets take it one step further and introduce keratin. I found this one on the effects of follistatin on keratinocyte proliferation...from the same wiki. links under gene ontology
http://amigo.geneontology.org/cgi-bi...erm=GO:0043616
"The multiplication or reproduction of keratinocytes, resulting in the expansion of a cell population. Keratinocytes are epidermal cells which synthesize keratin and undergo a characteristic change as they move upward from the basal layers of the epidermis to the cornified (horny) layer of the skin. "
so from all that gibberish(actually this stuff is starting to make sense, that's the sad part) I make a jump. a leap of faith if you will, to the thyroid.
"The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid /ˈθaɪərɔɪd/, in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage (which forms the laryngeal prominence, or "Adam's apple"). The thyroid gland controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. It participates in these processes by producing thyroid hormones, the principal ones being triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine which can sometimes be referred to as tetraiodothyronine (T4). These hormones regulate the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. T3 and T4 are synthesized from iodine and tyrosine. The thyroid also produces calcitonin, which plays a role in calcium homeostasis.
Hormonal output from the thyroid is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the anterior pituitary, which itself is regulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) produced by the hypothalamus."
so basically the leap of faith im making here is the idea that the hypothalamus and pituitary are the initially affected parts of the body. those effects lead to the thyroid, which in turn leads to changes in the liver and kidneys. (likely kidney failure, as we discussed last chapter part) why failure? I don't really see how kidneys would be relevant for the biters. in fact, that could explain a LOT of things.
*see "pellagra"*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellagra
well, this is probly more than I wanted to ramble about anyways, so im stopping there. ill touch more on the effects of changes to the thyroid and his metabolic partners in crime in the future..we've got two weeks right?
have fun...or else.
todd out
I felt my heart pumping for the full second half of the episode. I think this might be the best episode so far.
Somebody mentioned it already, but if Ink tattoed himself with formulas pertaining to his research, that might mean our heroes will have to catch him alive not to risk damaging his skin.
this is a good point. I deal with chemicals(cleaning agents) on a daily basis. my first thoughts on this were alkaline chlorides. but the primary chemical that would have to mix with that to produce a stinky, yet not mustard gas-y smell/effect would be a VERY low level acid(think 50:1 or something). the chlorine COULD be enough to eat through the tires, along with a bit of disbelief suspension...but most any mix of chlorine and "insert other chemical here" would likely put Michael and co on their asses within seconds....that sort of thing is nothing for the fucking with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Merlin1274
a better question would be why would a pharma. company have vats of that stuff?
Could this be why they go for the neck when attacking? To somehow damage or destroy that gland?Quote:
Originally Posted by 7oddisdead
not why I went to the thyroid in the first place,but yea...does kinda fit with the theme, doesn't it??Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm
As a pharmacist, this episode was like a dream for me :)
Sooo... thinking out loud. initially I thought that we were moving away from Raydon being the source, and more just a place where blood doping was going on to bulk up the zombies- as evidenced by the not-so-little ones. But then what on earth is going on with the crime scene tape and the office? doping and anabolic steroid use is a pretty complicated area- you'd have to know a fair bit about it already to go ahead with it. Could it be something Bill Roberts had a prior knowledge of ( and possibly even a reason for his aggression/ mental health issues which led to his killing spree? Could Dr Roberts have been experimenting with some way of reversing the effects? Who knows, but it is all very intriguing.
Is it just me, or were they totally daft to not raid the place for drugs- we know they are running low on painkillers etc, and there would probably have been a wealth of useful drugs in the warehouse. And yes, even preparation H could have been potentially useful- especially with a pregnant woman around!
I'm drawn to the description of the Raydon Building. Michael goes to a lot of effort to describe its plain whiteness, except for the patches where graffiti has been covered up. What could be going on there? Have there been protesters attacking the place, after finding out about some of the experiments going on there? Or could it have been something to do with Bill Roberts or any potential crime he may have committed?
So much to think about!
Hxxx