Bloaters seem to have superhuman strength, being able to rip heads off and break tree trunks in half. But how does a fungus make them like that?
Bloaters seem to have superhuman strength, being able to rip heads off and break tree trunks in half. But how does a fungus make them like that?
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The fungus seems to have some degree of motility – in the games, tendrils growing in the environment sway even in places where there should be no breeze, and in the show, tendrils are seen moving on their own even more clearly. This is probably a hydrostatic effect rather than due to anything resembling muscle contraction as we know it, but cordyceps could use it to supplement the host’s own muscle strength as it grows through the body. Clickers are also stronger than the average human, probably owing to their advanced infection.
This effect might be supplemented by fungal modification of the pituitary gland, a major regulator of hormones that sits directly beneath the brain. That could potentially promote muscle growth.
Bloaters are the result of a long-term infection where the mycelium of the infected was able to connect to a large network of nutrients in order to feed continously for a long time. These nutrients keep the host’s mass growing and strong without aparent limit creating this huge mass that is partly the cordyceps’ shell but also host’s muscle.