How does their symbiosis work?

[Darth Zakryn]

It's been said that the Iskoort made a symbiosis between Isk and Yoort. But how does that work? Obviously, both species would need equal amounts control or else it wouldn't be a symbiosis, it would be one-way control like the Yeerks do. I wish I could expand more on this subject, but it confuses me. Can anyone else start the discussion proper on this subject?

[Phoenix004]

I believe it was said that the Isk were created by the Yoort, so it's possible that the Isk themselves have no sentient minds of their own. We know that both the Isk and Yoort were altered so that they will die without the other, but aside from that we know very little about how their symbiotic relationship works.

[MoppingBear]

You know that whole we only use 10% of our brain myth?  Maybe it's actually true for the Isk, and the Yeerks help them unlock the rest.

[Unknown User]

I suspect that the Isk have no mind other than what is required to keep the heart going, lungs breathing (maybe) and other such nessecary base functions. The yoort then acts as the Isk's brain.

As for how they die if they stay away from each other to long, I would do it with hormones. I would make it so that the presence of the yoort causes a vital hormone to be produced in the Isks very primitve brain that it needs to live, and I'd do the same with the yoort. Modify the yoort to require a synthetic hormone that the Isk's brain naturally produces. The yoort would then need this hormone at all times except when swimming in the yoort pool, which has been modified to contain this hormone in chemical form.

I have no idea if this is how it is done, but that is how I'd do it.

[Nar Klawip]

I suspect that the Isk have no mind other than what is required to keep the heart going, lungs breathing (maybe) and other such nessecary base functions. The yoort then acts as the Isk's brain.

As for how they die if they stay away from each other to long, I would do it with hormones. I would make it so that the presence of the yoort causes a vital hormone to be produced in the Isks very primitve brain that it needs to live, and I'd do the same with the yoort. Modify the yoort to require a synthetic hormone that the Isk's brain naturally produces. The yoort would then need this hormone at all times except when swimming in the yoort pool, which has been modified to contain this hormone in chemical form.

I have no idea if this is how it is done, but that is how I'd do it.

Thats kinda what I thought, and it makes sense

[Myitt]

To steal from Stargate, maybe the Yoort act as the Isk immune system?   I'd put my money on something hormonal, or perhaps the Yoort need Kandrona to survive and so do the Isk, but the Isk needs the Yoort to transfer some of its stored energy to the Isk body system, and without the Isk the Yoort will suffer neural degradation after a long period outside of its host?

Who knows, but it's interesting to sort of toss ideas around.