Biology of a Vampire

Feeding:

The reason blood is so efficient for vampires is that blood contains what a vampire needs. Blood contains sodium citrate which is a white crystalline or granular compound (Na3C6H5O7·2H2O) which can be used as a medicine especially as an anticoagulant (prevents clotting of blood). Blood has dextrose which is the dextrorotatory form of glucose (C6H12O6·H2O). Glucose is a monosaccharide sugar that is an important source of physiological energy. Also, blood has adenine, a purine base (C5H5N5) that is the constituent involved in base pairing with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA.

The reason vampires have an ecstasy-like feeling during feeding is due to the high levels of dopamine that is released during the feeding. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that induces feelings much like those found in addicts when using drugs.

Vampire Senses:

During the transformation of becoming a vampire, nearly every particle inside of the body becomes sensitive.

A vampire's eyes are extremely acute. When one becomes a vampire, the retina and rod cells (the cells that effect our vision in dim light) become highly sensitive, eventually the cones (the fragments in the eye that effect our vision in bright light) become extremely sensitive, sometimes even replacing some cone cells with rod cells. This change causes the vampire to dilate. Because of this extraordinary vision they are able to see traces of sunlight earlier than humans. One of the key signs of a vampire is his or her eyes. A vampires eyes change quickly when going from one extreme contrast to another meaning that a vampire doesn't have to wait for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. This can cause vampires who hunt during the night to sleep several hours before dawn.

The reason vampires and vampyres have a great sense of smell is due to the high sensitivity of the vomeronasal organ (VNO), a small sac on either side of the nasal septum, containing receptor cells that pick up chemical signals (pheromones) from other organisms.

Pheromones are chemicals produced by an organism that signals its presence to other members of the same species and is a particular importance in sexual behavior. Pheromones run throughout the human body and increase when we become attracted to another human being. In a vampire, they are able to control their pheromone behavior; this means they are able to increase this chemical to attract a human for feeding.

The receptor cells (hair cells) found in the inner ear also become sensitive. Hair cells bear hair-like projections, cilia, which vibrate in response to sound or movement of the head. Movement of the cilia leads to the opening of ion channels in the cells and to the production of brief electrical signals.

Though vampires are not capable of changing into bats, they do have some things in common with this small winged creature. Vampires use a system in their body quite similar, if not exact, to the echolocation that bats use. Vampires can send out strong signals using either their voice or pulses, then having those signals bounce back locating where the prey is. Bats are able to send out 170 pulses per second, some vampires are able to double that.

Vampire Blood:

Though many consider a vampire to be dead, they are not. Living-born vampires maintain a normal heart rate which means their blood is just as warm is ours. A non-living vampire’s heart still beats, like our own, but with a heart rate that is much slower. This heart pumps the blood the vampire drinks through out the body so that the body may function.

Red Blood Cells:
Almost all vampires must feed every 120 days (roughly around four months) to maintain a healthy, functioning body. Strength stature does not matter. Red blood cells only live an average of 120 days, after that they die after that length of time. If an average vampire waits for the whole 120 days, he may become too weak to find food. Red blood cells carry oxygen to parts of the body so that the vampire may function properly. The vampire also must replace the whole amount of human red blood cells inside of him or herself if he or she allows almost all of the red blood cells to die.

White Blood Cells:
Vampires are able to be immune to many, if not all, diseases. Like Leukemia patients, vampires have nearly twice the amount of white blood cells than an average human. An average human has about 7,000 to 25,000 white blood cells in a single drop of blood. Vampires and Leukemia patients may have as many as 50,000 white blood cells in one drop of blood. Instead of someone with Leukemia being intensely immune to many things like a vampire, this puts them at a high risk of death.

Plasma:
About 55% of blood is plasma. When a vampire feeds, he is getting more of this straw-colored liquid than blood itself. What people do not realize is that plasma is just as important to a vampire as blood. Plasma contains calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as antibodies that prevent decay to set in. But what is one of the abilities that a vampire has that makes he or she most famous for? How about the ability to heal in record time? Plasma also contains platelets. Platelets heal nearly any kind of injury in the body and when platelets do their job you can see it (bruises, scabs). If a vampire gets a cut, his or her body reacts immediately and heals the cut with a scab then the scab falls off. Usually it takes a bit of time for humans to heal, but a cut can heal within seconds for a vampire. This prevents a vampire from bleeding too much or having clots in the body. When a human has a clot inside of the body, it can cause paralysis, brain damage, loss of sensory, perceptions, strokes, or death. The platelets in a vampire work so quickly, that a vampire almost never has to worry about such injuries.