The Science of Vampires: Vampire Biology (Part I)

Vampire Biology

A person who comes out of a vampiric coma fully transformed will have undergone a number of major physiological changes affecting the various systems of the body. The information included below is only an overview; for a more detailed account, look for these rare and classic texts: Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Vampire and Vesalius' Five Books on the Structure of the Vampire Body.

Note: Good luck finding these books, as their availability has declined sharply over the years, much like the very creatures they're about. Government censorship, most likely. Even though the CDC begrudgingly admits to the virus' existence, they'll vehemently deny that it "turns people into monsters," claiming it simply causes coma and death. This is also why vampire, zombie and werewolf fiction is so inaccurate, since factual information is largely withheld from the general public..

Brain/Nervous System

A vampire's nervous system is similar to humans and has proven to be their Achilles’ heel: injuries to the spinal cord and brain can be devastating for vampires, and Tasers remain just as effective at stunning them. While a vampire's spinal cord and nerves work as before transformation, a number of changes take place in the brain, and that altered brain chemistry goes a long way toward understanding vampire behavior.

Serotonin: Vampires have much lower levels of this neurotransmitter. In humans, low levels of serotonin trigger aggression and risky behavior. For instance, a study of murderers on death row revealed low levels of serotonin in their brains. Unfortunately, no conventional medications can reverse this in vampires.

Dopamine: Another neurotransmitter, dopamine induces feelings of well-being. In vampires, it is released during feeding and has a narcotic-like effect. Neural pathways activated in vampires during feeding are much like those found in addicts when using drugs. Hard drugs—cocaine, and opiates such as morphine and heroin—can mitigate a vampire's hunger by altering its dopamine receptors, causing it to become lethargic and disinterested in hunting. This also causes its pupils to contract, inhibiting its normally-keen night vision. Should the vampire remain hooked, it will starve to death within a matter of weeks.

Circadian Rhythms: Chemical changes in the brain that help us "rise and shine" with the morning light are reversed in vampires.

Extrasensory Perception: There appears to be some enhanced psychic ability in vampires. One researcher identified the source of this ability as enlarged amygdalae—a pair of almond-shaped nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain; devoted to processing, memory, emotional reactions, and, most important, identifying danger. This is thought to be an adaptive change that helps vampires anticipate danger even before it's manifest, resulting in faster reflexes. It also helps them figure out what people are thinking based on certain cues: eye and muscle movement, mannerisms, vocal tone, breathing, flushing of the skin, pulsating vessels, perspiration, etc.

Photosensitivity: Vampires are very sensitive to all light, but the ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun cause them special problems: UV light that enters a vampire's eyes sets off a chain reaction in their brain that leads to violent convulsions, which can be fatal for vampires stuck out in the sun for too long. Even if a vampire were to close its eyes, the lids just aren't thick enough to block out these harmful rays (which is also why people who spend time in tanning beds wear special goggles). However, there are sunglasses now that can protect against virtually all harmful rays. See the section below the next for details on the effects of skin exposure.

Powerful sense organs give vampires an advantage both in hunting and eluding capture. Sneaking up on them is virtually impossible, as they are aware of your presence long before you are aware of theirs.

Sight: In vampires, the iris in each eye becomes hyper-dilated, giving them what appear to be black eyes (aside from a narrow ring of tightly-contracted iris muscle). Increased reflectivity inside the eyes—reminiscent of the tapetum lucidum in many nocturnal animals—also makes them shimmer in the dark (a devilish ruby red, from the lack of pigment). Located behind the retina, a new layer of glittering tissue reflects unabsorbed light back into the rod cells, which have also become more numerous (and sensitive, thanks to a boost in capillary blood flow). While all this gives vampires excellent night vision, it also renders them effectively blind in daylight. They also experience extreme vasodilation in the sclera and tear ducts, making the whites of their eyes red and bloodshot, with bloody tears. To disguise themselves, vampires will take to wearing either sunglasses or full-eye contact lenses (though the latter is much harder to come by).

Smell/Hearing: Both senses are extremely acute, as vampires have more than double the receptor cells in their noses and ears compared to humans. In fact, vampires usually smell or hear a person coming long before they see one. However, there is an upside to this, as vampires are much more sensitive to pepper spray, air horns and—ironically—the sound of gunfire. They can also hear dog whistles, and other high-frequency noises that human ears can't pick up.

Taste/Touch: Due to a constant state of hyper-awareness, both taste and touch are very sensitive. As a result, the taste of human blood is nothing short of orgasmic for vampires. Unfortunately, this makes them so hypersensitive that bright lights, touch and the feeling of water are almost painful for them—not unlike those suffering from autism. However, pain, heat and cold remain largely unchanged. Side note: reduced circulation and oxygen intake causes the gums and tongue to appear a ghastly bright-purple color, similar to that of a choking/drowning victim.

Vampire Biology, Part II - Coming Soon