From: torban@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Torban Bennett)
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Organization: Murdoch University
Date:  8 Oct 92 03:26:56 GMT

alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley) writes:
>In article <1992Oct6.005640.24176@ncsu.edu> mrmarcel@eos.ncsu.edu (MICHAEL RONN MARCELAIS) writes:
>>In article <Bvo9Lp.CHx@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>, alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley) writes:
>>|> 	Is a troll alive?
>>Of course its alive.  It eats, grows, excretes, etc.  (don't have a bio book
>Grows?  Are there baby trolls?  It doesn't age.  It regenerates, but it does
>not grow.  It doesn't need to breath, else you could kill a troll by 
>submerging it in water.

You'll have to forgive my ignorance on the topic (I am not well read on
Trolls ;-) but I have been dying to respond to this lengthy discussion.
Either they are living animals or they are creatures totally of magic, if they
eat food they must be part living. 

>>|> Are they immortal (they shouldn't age thanks to regeneration)?
>>They can be killed, but they shouldn't have any inate lifespan due to
>>regeneration.
>Killed or destroyed?  Wraiths are destroyed, bears are killed.  Is there any
>other immortal creature that is alive?

They could certainly age *with* regeneration.  As they get older the
regeneration slows done.  Just like humans and natural healing.
As for reproduction are Trolls asexual or sexual? It would be possible for
them to have one of these 'normal' methods if they were an animal.
(And yes, before anyone writes in, Aphids can reproduce asexually.  So that
method is not unique to plants)

>>|> 	Is a troll regenerated from a finger a new troll?
>>If you give it enough time and keep away from fire/acid.
>No, I mean a NEW troll, as opposed to the same troll reborn to extract
>revenge!

OK now we get to the good bit.  Killing a Troll and regeneration.
Firstly killing.  I say yes to suffocation, but it may take a long time!
All animals require O2 to live, and I would say a Troll especially,
as it would need it for the extra metabolism involved in regeneration.
Of course it could produce some anaerobic(sp?) source of energy to store
for emergencies.  This would mean it could live for some time (how long?)
without air (as I imagine the Alien from Alien would!) It would also affect
the speed (slow it done, as energy stores get exhausted) of regeration 
after much 'choppy choppy' (as someone mentioned previously)

For a body piece to grow into a 'new' troll, it would require some form
of magic (there's just no 'realistic' way a finger can gain enough matter
to become a new troll.  This process of growing requires food ;-)
Also it avoids the problem already raised (by another poster) of two
'pieces' being left, how does each piece know which is the bigger, or what
if both pieces are the same size?  So you must have some sort magic to avoid
the scientific anomalies.

Two final points.  Poison to kill a Troll.  Yes.  Even with new cells being
produced, the poison can remain around to kill these as well (just like the
ozone layer, one molecule of CFC can destroy hundreds of ozone molecules)
Psionics.  Kill no, disable yes!  People talked about the trolls mind being
fried, reduced to "Food, eat! Food eat" but its still a psychotic killer.  Body
movement is controlled by the brain as well, so if you destroy certain parts
of the brain, you can disable all motor function!  

Torban Bennett       torban@murdoch.edu.au

Lister: 'Come on, what are you, a man or a munchkin?'
Rimmer: 'I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz.'
  - Red Dwarf