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Bending Genetics

  • Avatar of WKWARRIOR

    WKWARRIOR

    [41]Nov 3, 2006
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    someone198 wrote:
    Not *everything* about identical twins is identical; they have different fingerprints, for example. And remember, the thing about fantasy worlds where the impossible is possible is that different laws of physics and other sciences (ex. genetics) apply. My theory:
    - Bending is roughly genetic but nonetheles unpredictable, like magic to witches and wizards of mixed blood in Harry Potter: Harry's mother and aunt both had mixed blood, but only his mother was a witch.
    Evidence:
    - If bending were as easy a skill to learn as archery or something, what was the point in arresting anyone who could bend earth in "Imprisoned" because they felt threatened by Earth Benders? If anybody could learn it, they would have had to force everyone to live in a metal compound.

    Harry's mother does not have an onuce of past magical blood. She was bron to a normal human family, but ended up having magical powers. Basically the exact opposite of a squibb, a witch or wizard who cannot perform magic.
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  • Avatar of YAYjapan27

    YAYjapan27

    [42]Nov 3, 2006
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    In "The Fortune Teller" there are two twins who when asked if there are any earth benders one raises his hand and the other doesnt, which is weird considering that they're identical twins so they came from the same egg and were split in two, you would think they were both benders sharing the same genetic structure. i think it means that some people just have the right spirit and the gift comes from that, at some point the air bender spirit is mentioned. If any of Katara's other family members were water benders, we dont know because it hasnt been said, so i dont thinkn its genetic, its just if you have the rgiht spirit
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  • Avatar of tvfreakelik

    tvfreakelik

    [43]Nov 3, 2006
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    YAYjapan27 is right. I think that water/earth/air/fire bending isn't really genetic or something that can be taught. Its more like special people who have the ability. Remember what Kartara said about being the last waterbender in the South Pole? If either of her parents or Kana had been waterbenders then they would have been able to teach her, but they must not be because they never taught her. And even though Katara didn't talk about the men at war I don't think they could either. Katara and Toph and Aang and Zuko and Iroh, and Azula can all bend because of themselves alone; not genetic. And don't say oh but Zuko and Iroh and Azulon and Azula can fire bend and there in the family because: 1) I don't think Zuko's mon could firebend or Iroh's son and 2) Its a show for gosh's sake! All of them need to be able to bend because thats what's best for the show.. otherwise it would be messed up.
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  • Avatar of 157EarthSpirit

    157EarthSpirit

    [44]Nov 3, 2006
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    Personally I think that when the first benders learned there art "FN: Sun, WT: Moon, AN: Flying bison,??EK: Bagger Mole" the sprit from each these things??entered there body???s enabling them to learn the bending and with the sprit in there body???s it became part of there DNA and so they had children that had the Bending gene but only if there children had the true bending spirit did they ever get to acquirer the skill. So with years and years of practice in there cultures there bending art was perfected so that when a child had a bending gene and had the bending sprit they did??have the gift and were able to master it to teach future generations.

    Examples:????Sokka: Gene + No-Sprit = No bending???????????? Katara: Gene + Bending Sprit= bending

    ?????????????????????????????????????? Aang: Gene + Bending Sprit + Special Avatar Sprit= all bending

    ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????Teo: No Gene + Sprit = No Bending

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  • Avatar of 157EarthSpirit

    157EarthSpirit

    [45]Nov 3, 2006
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    As for the case of The Sothern Water Tribe it's possible that every one there could have had the gene but just didn't acquire the gift because they didn't have the bending spirit. I don't think I could have had much spirit having all there tribe men in war and all the worry and sorrow they had to go through. But Katara has it because she's got the spirit; after all she was the only one at the time that had any hope at all.

    ??

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  • Avatar of dumbTVnut

    dumbTVnut

    [46]Nov 3, 2006
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    157EarthSpirit wrote:

    As for the case of The Sothern Water Tribe it's possible that every one there could have had the gene but just didn't acquire the gift because they didn't have the bending spirit. I don't think I could have had much spirit having all there tribe men in war and all the worry and sorrow they had to go through. But Katara has it because she's got the spirit; after all she was the only one at the time that had any hope at all.



    Oh god! I knew someone was going to come up with a mechanism, despite the creators basically saying ???yeah its all 3, what ever??? its mitichlorians, haha.???
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  • Avatar of mehvar

    mehvar

    [47]Nov 3, 2006
    • member since: 10/11/06
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    so far we know that the waterbenders learnt bending through the moon, and the first earthbenders learnt it from those moles (i m sorry i forget what they are actually called)

    so in theory fire naion would have learnt it from the sun, (zuko says to katara you rise with the moon i rise with the sun) so what abt the airbenders, wind??? anyhow all these forums need is someone at the the end of every topic to say "we can just watch the show and find out"
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  • Avatar of AgniKai

    AgniKai

    [48]Nov 3, 2006
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    Thank you, I'm a sophomore in high school and none of my friends or family can understand why??I like the show so much.
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  • Avatar of panicked_12

    panicked_12

    [49]Nov 10, 2006
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    we can just watch the show and find out
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  • Avatar of tigerstalksprey

    tigerstalksprey

    [50]Nov 10, 2006
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    157EarthSpirit wrote:

    Personally I think that when the first benders learned there art "FN: Sun, WT: Moon, AN: Flying bison, EK: Bagger Mole" the sprit from each these things entered there body???s enabling them to learn the bending and with the sprit in there body???s it became part of there DNA and so they had children that had the Bending gene but only if there children had the true bending spirit did they ever get to acquirer the skill. So with years and years of practice in there cultures there bending art was perfected so that when a child had a bending gene and had the bending sprit they did have the gift and were able to master it to teach future generations.

    Examples: Sokka: Gene + No-Sprit = No bending Katara: Gene + Bending Sprit= bending

    Aang: Gene + Bending Sprit + Special Avatar Sprit= all bending

    Teo: No Gene + Sprit = No Bending



    I like that

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  • Avatar of lightningprince

    lightningprince

    [51]Dec 8, 2006
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    Im ressurecting this thread! Mostly because I want to stop duplicates.

    Anyway, It seems to me that the nations all have spritual centers located within them. Meaning, within Earth nation boundaries, there is a spiritual energy (as said above) that permeates into these people. As with the other two nations. Air, on the other hand, has four centers that exude its power, but those centers are small and isolated. I dont believe genertics has anything at all. It's all spiritual. Like the Avatar.
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  • Avatar of MCMLXVI

    MCMLXVI

    [52]Dec 9, 2006
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    lightningprince wrote:
    It seems to me that the nations all have spiritual centers located within them??? I don't believe [genetics] has anything at all. It's all spiritual. Like the Avatar.
    The way I see it, it's a complex formula of genes and spirit: not clearly wholly spiritual and not clearly wholly genetic. If it were wholly spiritual and not genetic, bender extinction (complete or near complete) would be impossible unless all life were extinct (and, secondarily, there would be more cases of different benders over the same territory). If it were wholly genetic, siblings would all be benders; there has been no evidence to-date of "late-bloomers", where bending ability first appears in the teens or later. Bending ability is not to be confused with bending skill, which takes practice; Aang has the ability to bend the elements, but, over the course of the series, is acquiring the skill to bend the elements.

    [edit] Oh, OK. If it were genetic, NOT all siblings would be benders, since bending might be a recessive trait. Curse you, Gregor Mendel! {just kidding}

    Edited on 12/09/2006 4:26am
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  • Avatar of Itsumomo

    Itsumomo

    [53]Dec 9, 2006
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    It could actually be very true, as a whole nation could start from two people. And its like dividing yourself; having some similarities to your origins and some differences.
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  • Avatar of qweasdzse

    qweasdzse

    [54]Dec 9, 2006
    • member since: 05/31/05
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    lightningprince wrote:
    Im ressurecting this thread! Mostly because I want to stop duplicates.

    Anyway, It seems to me that the nations all have spritual centers located within them. Meaning, within Earth nation boundaries, there is a spiritual energy (as said above) that permeates into these people. As with the other two nations. Air, on the other hand, has four centers that exude its power, but those centers are small and isolated. I dont believe genertics has anything at all. It's all spiritual. Like the Avatar.

    So??are you say that the?? bending??element??depends on where a person is born? If that was true wouldn't Teo's group have created a few airbenders.

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  • Avatar of MCMLXVI

    MCMLXVI

    [55]Dec 9, 2006
    • member since: 11/08/05
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    lightningprince wrote:
    ??? It seems to me that the nations all have spritual centers located within them. Meaning, within Earth nation boundaries, there is a spiritual energy (as said above) that permeates into these people. As with the other two nations. Air, on the other hand, has four centers that exude its power, but those centers are small and isolated. I dont believe genertics has anything at all. It's all spiritual. Like the Avatar.
    qweasdzse wrote:
    So are you say that the bending element depends on where a person is born? If that was true wouldn't Teo's group have created a few airbenders.
    Of all the likely things that could influence the benders who are born, territory is the least likely.
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