Going back from @ToaKebaka ’ s quote from the topic “Do Matoran Have DNA?” he implied.
If that is true, then do Matorans or Rahi possess something similar to cells that make up their body? I know that humans and other animals are made up of cells. That would mean this principle would apply to not only Matoran but also Rahi.
Why would that be true? We’ve heard it all before, but rules in our world don’t necessarily apply to rules in fantasy. Especially when the organisms being discussed are mostly robot anyways.
Additionally, it’s not like BIONICLE is anywhere near that thoroughly thought out in terms of worldbuilding.
I did look it up on the greg archives though, and I couldn’t find anything about matoran having cells or not.
Considering that Matoran/Rahi are the cells of the Great Spirit, I doubt it. Zaktan is the exception - an attack by the Shadowed One transformed his skin into a mass of billions of Microscoping “protodites”, which gave him some level of shapeshifting powers.
I was under the impression that that was a metaphor that Greg used, not the literal intention.
Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the matoran
Matoran are the powerhouse of the GSR
Well, if “Protodites” are single-celled creatures (can’t remember if that was ever explicitly stated or not) it would infer that some form of cellular biology exists in Bionicle.
Their organic parts are most likely made up of cells, as any organic tissue it. As for their metal parts, it’s anyone’s guess. They could just be metal plating like an irl robot, or metal-based cells like a transformer. Who knows.
I’d say it’s likely that some kind of cells are used for muscles, but in terms of canon, it is very unlikely that the biological structure of beings would be this detailed in the story.
In the past, Greg has sometimes refused to answer more scientific questions about the Bionicle universe on the basis that it would just cause confusion and add nothing to the actual story.
But then wouldn’t that also just be organic protodermis?
I can’t see their armour being anything beyond metal plating.
BS01:
Organic Protodermis is a type of Protodermis that makes up all the organic tissue in the Matoran Universe. Being biomechanical beings, the inhabitants of the Matoran Universe are made partially of organic Protodermis and partially of solid Protodermis. It can decay over time if left inactive, but it also possesses regenerative abilities. For instance as the Toa Mata laid inactive in the ocean for a thousand years, their organic parts decayed; but they regrew when they fused their lost limbs back on. As protodermis itself is an artificial substance; organic protodermis is not truly organic. It mimics the qualities of true organic tissue, such as a cellular structure and a protodermic equivalent to DNA.
Protodermic muscle is stronger than organic muscle.