Zombies.

The Myths, the Make Up, Behavior, Characteristics and Anatomy of a Zombie.

A zombie is a creature with low to zero intelligence. Here I will dispel some myths about zombies that have been perpetuated by the film and entertainment industry too make the zombie more freighting and menacing (as if there is any need too make these horrid beings any more terrifying.)

First and foremost, zombies can not run, or move even at a speedy walk. It is not hard to move away from a group of zombies if they are not close, however this handicap should not lead you to believe that they are not dangerous, for as most people know the real danger is not in capture by a single fast zombie, but in being caught in the midst of a crowed of them.

The reason zombies can not run is because that they have already begun to rot which means deterioration of muscle development and mobility. Decomposition is broken up into five stages, fresh, bloating, active decay, advanced decay, and finally dry/remains.

Fresh decay shows little sign of death but rigger mortis does take place in this stage, which is the beginning of the lack of mobility/motor functions of a zombie corpse. In the later forms of decomposition you can see obvious signs of decay and these forms of decay are the real hit to the zombie’s mobility. In these stages microbes that have remained in our body begin to attack the cellular structure of the compounds that make up the human body and this causes lack of stability in the zombies flesh and muscle mass. However, zombies do decay at a slower rate then regular dead and decomposing organisms. The reason for this is as of yet, unknown.

The next myth we shall tackle is the aspect of zombie intelligence. In many films today you see zombies began to learn how to use tools and weapons or even strategize ways of getting human prey. Zombies have little too no intelligence. They are compelled by base needs, and the only one that seems to be the driving force for them, is hunger. There are only two main parts of the brain that are active in the brain, and both of those parts of the brain are still active are only active in the most rudimentary sense.

The first part of the zombie brain that is most active it the Hypothalamus which is part of the limbic section. This part of the brain controls base bodily functions. Such as appetite, thirst, and other bodily functions. The only one of those functions that is really active is obviously appetite. Though they seem always want to eat without the actual need for it seeing as they do not need any kind of sustenance to survive. This section of the brain also controls motor functions some base emotions (which are clearly not active in the zombie brain as they have no emotion) and automatic function like breathing and the like which seems to be active as they do draw breath, however it does not seem to be a function needed for them as all attempts to poison them through gas has failed dismally.

The second part of the zombie brain that is active is the Medulla Oblongata which also controls motor functions and automatic functions such as breathing and digestion. It is not clear if zombies need these functions, and they do function in a very poor way as digestion is practically stopped and it is more likely that a zombies stomach will burst before it is able to digest the food which they seem not to do, or it functions so slowly it is nigh impossible to tell.

Third, zombies are not limited to eating human flesh. They well eat any creature including insects provided that they are still living. Zombies prefer the flesh of the living and will actually not eat already killed meat unless it is very fresh. This is important to remember as there have been reports of people trying to lure zombies away by putting meat in strategically placed areas to allow for easy kills. There preference for the flesh of the living is not completely understood, but there are of course theories. An example of one is that they somehow need to feed on warm flesh or flesh that still has blood pumping through it. Though seeing as no explanation has been provided for why this would be a specific need it is hard to view this as fact.

Another possible myth is that zombies have extra acute senses that allow them to find living creatures from a long distance away. The reason I say possible myth is that although most zombie experts seem to dismiss this as pure fantasy, there is no denying that zombies do have a way that they find animals from a good distance in order to devour their flesh. One theory given about this is that because of their lower brain functions and base needs there senses are no longer distracted by other smells sights or sounds. It seems the sole use of their senses is used to track prey. Some speculate that they have some new way of sensing us brought on by the virus but seeing as no evidence has been shown for this supposed extra sensory devise from examining both diseased and living zombies (please pardon the use of the word living).

You already have the virus! It is not just those bitten that carry the virus we all have it in us. As demonstrated by some of the early Romero documentaries (as well as later ones) all of those that die these days will become zombies. Yet the virus does not seem to effect the living in any way, it only shows itself when something living has died. This is why it is imperative that you always destroy the brain when someone dies. This doesn’t mean you have to get violent, you could simply stick a screwdriver through there ear or nose. You could also go the route of the Egyptians where you use a narrow hook up the nose and scramble the brains as to make positively sure that the brain is destroyed. This would probably be the safest approach.

These are the most important facts to remember about the zombie scourge. You must be prepared, always on the watch, willing to kill even your best friend or family members if they are turned or die of natural causes. A new pamphlet will be released for survival tips on how to keep safe and what you must be prepared to do and how to steel your mind and your body for what must be done. Good luck, keep safe, and always prepare for the worst.