Yeerks are Plants

[wolfev]

I was trying to figure out how Yeerks use Kandrona for energy. Then it occurred to me that they were probably using it to synthesize sugar which they store up and use for energy. The reason it last three days is because Kandrona is a high energy particle so Yeerks can make a lot of energy from a very short exposure. I came to this conclusion because the council of thirteen are able to just stand in Kandrona and receive its energy. This means it passes through the hosts skin. Only higher energy particles can do that.

[Yarin]

they may be gastropods with photosynthetic abilities

[VisserZer0]

Hmm, I'm not sure about that. Can the Animorphs even morph plants, anyway? Because Cassie morphed Illim in The Sickness. That would also mean that the Yeerks would have plant DNA, which I'm not is morphable. Yes, I realize I said "morphable." I don't know. Interesting topic.

[goom]

Hmm, I'm not sure about that. Can the Animorphs even morph plants, anyway? Because Cassie morphed Illim in The Sickness.

http://www.earthsky.org/faq/dna-animals-plants
maybe (doubt it), but would they be able to morph back?

i wouldn't classify yeerks as plants, probably just animals with a unique feeding method.

[wolfev]

fine, they are photosynthetic. And I think morphing requires that a nervous system be present to work. Technically all the alien species are new all from new kingdoms since they all have different evolutionary lineages.

[Yarin]

True but what if they morphed a jellyfish they don't have a central nervous system

[wolfev]

then they can't morph jellyfish, but they do have a very basic nervous system so they actually can.

[Yarin]

fine crap all over my theory lol

[morfowt]

then they can't morph jellyfish, but they do have a very basic nervous system so they actually can.

well technically they can. it's whether or not they can demorph that's the question.

[wolfev]

I'm not sure if the technology would work in that case. It might just prevent that from occurring if there was no DNA for a nervous system. I always imagined it was kinda screwy after book 32. Biology is too unpredictable for morphing to predict.

[Phoenix004]

Yeerks are clearly some type of photosynthetic life-form, but I don't think they are plants. Of course we can't really classify any of the alien species in the series because they evolved on other planets and therefore probably don't fall into Earth's categories for identifying plant and animal life.

For example: Andalites have fur and resemble certain Earth mammals, but as far as we know they don't have mammary glands. Hork-Bajir are implied to resemble reptiles, but they don't appear to be cold-blooded.

It's never said for sure, but we can assume that they can't morph plants or microscopic organisms such as bacteria (not that they would ever want/need to). It's possible that there is a safety mechanism built into the morphing technology to prevent the acquiring/morphing of certain creatures.

[goom]

mammals

• mammary glands (female)
• sweat glands
• hair
• three middle ear bones
• neocortex region in the brain.

yeah, they're probably just similar to mammals.

while we're on the subject of yeerks, i've always found it curious that the kadrona feeding schedule was exactly 3 earth days. doesn't it seem a little TOO convientent?
(an explanation could be that it was greater than 3, but less than 4)

[Chad32]

Maybe they could put in something like, a time that translasted into three Earth days. It would be different at other planets, but Elfangor came up with three days to help the Animorphs. That would make sense.

[Estelore]

Guys... plants aren't the only organisms that photosynthesize.

Think of algae, phytoplankton, and euglenas!

Those are MUCH closer to animals than plants are.

[Galladerotom]

Agreed.

On the question of jellyfish and other simple organisms. I have a theory on morphing: the human brain controlls the body from Z-Space through the animal's nervous system. So in order for the animorphs to be able to morph jellyfish the morphing technology would have to create a psuedo nervous system. I think the andalites may have thought of that though.