The Lycan Syndrome

Biology Made Simple - Lycanthropy

"Werewolfism" - Common fable, but I'm here to explain how it could happen: the "curse" would (most likely) be a type of retrovirus, which would remain dormant for quite a while. Said virus could be passed down by genetics (genetic disorder) or by exchange of DNA directly to the bloodstream (saliva, blood-transfusion, etc.). The virus (if the person was born with it) would begin to multiply, literally, as soon as the person was born. Over the years, the virus count would reach a maximum number in which it could live, and lay dormant. It would then have to be stimulated in one of the most extreme ways possible for a human to encounter: puberty.

Born with the Strand:</b></u> As the body begins to mature more, the virus may sense the changes, and become active, but is only "released" on the body's internal clock. If it's the usual "Once-a-month" strand of virus, it acts on, so-called, "PMS" time (Even in boys), although, it's also stimulated by the magnetic pull on full moons, that has been theorized to actually affect humans as well as other organisms. If the strand is an "Every night" type, it begins at a certain time and/or stimulated by either nighttime or the tiredness of the body (a time when the virus has a slightly stronger chance of infecting the body).

Infected:</i></u> When someone has had a direct injection into the bloodstream, a lysogenic infection takes place for a few days, festering in the body, and causing it to react in numerous ways, depending on who you are (which will be explained further along). It's thought that on the last day, the DNA begins it's lytic infection stage, causing all the cells that were infected to assemble new viruses and eventually bursts forth, exploding into thousands of multiples of itself. The virus (soon enough) makes its way to the brain through the cerebrospinal fluid through the spine. As it makes its way to the most important part of the brain it needs for the lycanthropy process (hypothalamus, which will also further be explained), it created a copy of the cells' membrane it's obtained through its constant conflicts with the other cells of the body, translates it, and transfers it to the virus' outer capsid, which allows it to bypass white blood cells, unnoticed.

Transformation</b></u>

When the internal clock 'strikes' (or the virus is stimulated by the moon's pull), the virus (who infected the hypothalamus) 'tells' the hypothalamus to release an enzyme that commands all the skeletal and muscular cells to multiply rapidly (unfortunately, similar to cancer, but much quicker). The bones changing shape would normally take months to heal to rearrange and heal, but the accelerated process of the painful event quickly snaps the bone and re-patches the bones in a matter of minute, or even seconds.

The growing of more muscle and fur would happen only if the person has a constant source of new matter ("Matter cannot be created nor destroyed"): said source would be a constant stream of food. The body would need a lot of protein, which would (in turn) lead to cravings of it, and one of the foods that is one of the most abundant in proteins is meat (second to soybeans and nuts), also leading to an unusual attraction to meat (both day and night). The virus would slightly manipulate the compressed portion of the human brain that still holds the primitive nature of all of us that has been ignored/domesticated for a while, to get the infected host to revert to that instinct, craving meat more that soy and nuts (rare as possible). Resorting back to the main thesis, the fur would simply be over stimulated hair follicles, and the muscles (in layman's terms) would be condensed muscle cells that were created from the food eaten.

Commenting back to the changing shape, the bones' calcium would have to be released to create a soft, malleable material (since calcium is one of the main substances that strengthens bones), but then it would have to be returned in time. The calcium would have to be stored in the empty shell of the viruses who have already injected their DNA (encoded RNA) into the actively multiplying cells (they would be returned to the bone).

The nail/tooth lengthening would happen alongside the cells multiplying, but their sharpening would have to happen beforehand or after the transformation .

The tail growth would, actually, be one of the most painful processes of the entire metamorphosis due to the fact that it is a formation of another function appendage. To do so, the cells would have to swiftly convert proteins into collagens and sugars, and multiply its chrondocytes to create semi-solid cartilage segments and (along with the multiplying muscle and skin cells) would be covered in muscle and fur.

As a Werewolf</u>

The virus (by the time the person realizes they're a loup-garou) will have been affecting the subconscious the brain's subconsciously (hypothalamus = meat cravings, anger issues, higher body temperature, etc.). At certain points in time of high stress levels when the person had already transformed, the virus would detect this change in the nervous system, and cause Transient Global Amnesia (temporary amnesia), by blocking the nerves that tap into the consciousness of the body in the cerebrum, but not the muscular consciousness. This would precede to the person blacking out, and not realizing what they are doing for a temporary amount of time, leaving the person clueless as to what they did the night before. One of the only ways for them to become attentive again is if the stress is brought down.

Another commonly known characteristic is that werewolves are super fast and have prompt reflexes. This would tend to the portion of the brain called the cerebellum. The cerebellum (along with the inner ear fluid) wants to keep balance. When the fluid moves, it reacts to tell the person, "Hey! You're off balance, buddy!" and the reflex is to lean the other way. With the constant condensing and dissipating of muscle, the neurons would sooner or later be so close together, the messages hardly take any time at all to react with the muscles and cause the body to react rather quickly.

Yet another known characteristic is their freakishly high body temperature. This would (most likely) be caused by the reaction to the virus itself: if the body didn't keep the constant elevated temperature to keep the virus from over multiplying, it would kill the infected host, but luckily, the body adjusts its usual homeostasis level for its own protection.

The Purpose?

The purpose of the virus is like any other virus: mindless multiplying and infecting, although this one is changed up. The virus may have a goal: create the perfect being to infect others and spread its infection.