Babellon Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps When a Cordyceps fungus attacks a host, the mycelium invades and eventually replaces the host tissue, while the elongated fruit body (ascocarp) may be cylindrical, branched, or of complex shape. The ascocarp bears many small, flask-shaped perithecia containing asci. These, in turn, contain thread-like ascospores, which usually break into fragments and are presumably infective. Some current and former Cordyceps species are able to affect the behaviour of their insect host:Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (formerly Cordyceps unilateralis) causes ants to climb a plant and attach there before they die. This ensures the parasite's environment is at an optimal temperature and humidity, and that maximal distribution of the spores from the fruit body that sprouts out of the dead insect is achieved.[4] Marks have been found on fossilised leaves that suggest this ability to modify the host's behaviour evolved more than 48 million years ago.[5] (excerpt from the wikia post) I wonder if this was perhaps part of the root inspiration for the infested virus in dark sectors and currently Warframe. Edit: cannot seem to make it not grey out on the page...sorry. Highlight it and it'll show. Edited July 7, 2014 by -LTO-Malachi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arxiun Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feallike Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 ......... you have impressed me by so much that i will never say anything bad about you ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
immolator1001 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 This is also what The Last of Us has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babellon Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 ......... you have impressed me by so much that i will never say anything bad about you ever. LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM-Bunny Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I doubt there is much inspiration from this, specifically. Infested bear more of a resemblance to a generic zombie plague. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherIcarus Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Stuff like this in real life probably inspired the original infested species thing, you know that is is basically every science fiction ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babellon Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 I doubt there is much inspiration from this, specifically. Infested bear more of a resemblance to a generic zombie plague. well, I was thinking in terms of it attacks, takes over, and controls a host, then grows from it, transforming the host into something else. Stuff like this in real life probably inspired the original infested species thing, you know that is is basically every science fiction ever. indeed. there are a great many things in nature which have inspired science fiction in plenty of ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonsguy Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Nice You say that now, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beas7ie Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 That's not the scary part. This is the scary part. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps#mediaviewer/File:Soup_of_silkie_seahorse_and_cordyceps.jpg People actually EAT it. At this rate, we might have a real life infestation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuio678 Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) That's not the scary part. This is the scary part. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps#mediaviewer/File:Soup_of_silkie_seahorse_and_cordyceps.jpg People actually EAT it. At this rate, we might have a real life infestation. You are going to find it strange, but it is consumable by humans in some parts of the world...well...one of the many strains of it anyway. For a period of time, I actually took capsules of this stuff in powdered form, since in Chinese medicine it supposedly helps with the health of the lungs and stuff, so I'm gonna hazard a guess that the scary infecting strain of cordyceps probably isn't the same as the one humans ingest...though I could be wrong :P EDIT: also you have such a beautiful body with healthy skin...might a have small nibble xD Edited July 8, 2014 by yuio678 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RareMemeDealer Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 You are going to find it strange, but it is consumable by humans in some parts of the world...well...one of the many strains of it anyway. For a period of time, I actually took capsules of this stuff in powdered form, since in Chinese medicine it supposedly helps with the health of the lungs and stuff, so I'm gonna hazard a guess that the scary infecting strain of cordyceps probably isn't the same as the one humans ingest...though I could be wrong :P EDIT: also you have such a beautiful body with healthy skin...might a have small nibble xD It actually is the same, Cordyceps is only capable of infecting its relevant host bodies, and in any case, our immune system is much stronger than an insect's so the amount of infectious cells required would be significantly higher. And we have anti-fungal medicine so yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApathyZer0 Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 They already made a game about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ionus Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 It actually is the same, Cordyceps is only capable of infecting its relevant host bodies, and in any case, our immune system is much stronger than an insect's so the amount of infectious cells required would be significantly higher. And we have anti-fungal medicine so yeah. In certain parts of the world cordyceps-infected caterpillars are used in medicine IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulzscha Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Moved to the proper section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElHefe Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) @ -LTO-Malachi ... Big thanks for the research post! I have always believed that good science fiction MUST be good science, otherwise it may as well be just romantic fantasy and magic BTW the Wiki page photo looks IDENTICAL to the "carpets" of waving tube like orange Infested that cover the floors and walls of an overrun Grineer or Corpus station ... Footnote to the "science-minded": this fungus produces a chemical mimic of one of the fundamental nucleic acids that acts like a "Trojan horse" and kills cancer cells! Edited July 8, 2014 by ElHefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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