Vampires have been in stories for ages, dating back to the 1000s. They're known for having fangs and drinking blood, and they can move around in the dark and even turn into bats. Over time, vampires have become super popular, and now there many books, movies, and TV shows about them. Some famous vampires include Dracula, Edward Cullen, and Lestat De Lioncourt. Beyond the whole sparkly skin and fangs thing, there is actually a real medical and psychological condition called vampirism. It's not like the vampires in the movies or books, though. There are a set of specific traits and behaviors. You're probably wondering what these traits are, right? Well, there are a few conditions that have some similarities to the vampire legend, including Renfield's Syndrome and Porphyria.
Renfield’s syndrome is better known as clinical vampirism. This is a very rare mental disorder where an individual has an obsession with the act of drinking blood. Individual will often dream about blood or self-harm in order to obtain blood. Porphyria is a genetic disorder causing many symptoms similar to myths about vampires. This can be extreme skin sensitivity changes in personality, rapid or irregular heartbeats. The reason this happens is because there is a build-up of chemicals called porphyrins in the body. These chemicals are natural and are needed to make heme, part of a hemoglobin—a protein in red blood cells. These in turn help with the important process of cellular respiration and transporting oxygen throughout the body.
So, let's talk about the actual vampires themselves. What makes them immortal? Why do they drink blood? How do they drink blood? And why do they sparkle? We can use biology to answer all these questions. Let's start with their biology. Vampires are similar to bats. Bats produce anticoagulant in their saliva called Draculin. This prevents the blood from clotting as they suck blood, making it easier for vampires to suck blood from their victims. As for their immortality, in humans ,old cells are constantly being replaced through cell division and an enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase are protective ends of chromosomes that shorten as humans age. Vampires, however, have a different version of telomerase that is highly effective and promotes immortality. With the use of biology, we can break down actual vampire anatomy and behavioral traits to better understand the myths and legends. Even so, looking at the real life diseases are likely the closest thing we’ll get to vampires.
So, are vampires real?
Well, there are real cases of people with vampire-like traits. If vampires were real, biology could explain their nature and traits. To be safe (!) make sure your protect your neck this spooky season, because who knows when a vampire might strike.
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