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"WARNING. The subjct matter of this piece is controversial. While some specific details are not themselves necessarily canon, they are based upon several pieces of evidence found in the canon, as well as real world science and biology. Be prepared for intellectual debate. If you can't handle being disagreed with, don't bother commenting. Otherwise, keep it civil and on an intellectual level."

"We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron."—Optimus Prime

"The laws of physics appear to be the same everywhere, so it follows that the laws of life are universal too, even if the detail is different."—Professor Stephen Hawking

Robotic organisms; Life forms whose bodies, cellular structure, and DNA is made up of metals, silicon, and similar elements, instead of (or as well as) the Big Six organic elements—Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorus.

There are seven key criteria that the scientific community agrees is absolutely vital for all life everywhere, and without all of which an organism could not survive or thrive as a species. These criteria are:

• Homeostasis: Regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state; for example, sweating to reduce temperature. This can point to warm and cold-blooded species.
• Organization: Made of one or more cells, which are the basic units of life.
• Metabolism: Living things require energy to maintain internal temperature and carry out functions associated with life. Metabolism is change of energy state via anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is converting chemicals and energy from food etc. into living cells. Catabolism is decomposition of organic matter into inorganic substance.
• Growth: Maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism than catabolism. This results in formation of cells and tissue, hence the foundation of growth.
• Adaptation: The property of biologically changing or adjusting, to the changes in the environment. This is related to evolution and mutation.
• Response to stimuli: The response depends of the organism and nature of stimulus. A pinch, sunlight, thunder, shock are stimuli. Organisms starting from unicellular to insects to vertebrates respond to the stimulus as per their make up.
• Reproduction: The characteristic of producing new individuals organisms. The unicellular and lower organisms and some plants, reproduce asexually from a single parent, while organisms higher in the taxonomy reproduce sexually from two parents.

[link]

Within the canon, Transformers have been shown to meet all seven of these criteria at one time or another. The most controversial of these criteria among fans is reproduction. Here is a breakdown of the various criteria and how Transformers meet each one:

Homeostasis: This is, perhaps the hardest to visually depict within the canon, but Transformers have demonstrated this fundamental ability. Their cells generate heat when burning fuel for energy, their cooling systems keep them from overheating, cellular regeneration repairs damage and maintains overall systemic health and functionality. All of this is homeostasis at work.

Organization: According to multiple canon sources, dating as far back as Marvel comics, Transformers are stated to be made up of self-replicating nanomachine cells containing Cybernetic "DNA". They have genes. These cells then form larger functional interdependent systems which, in turn, make up the body of the Transformer. It is through cellular replication that Transformers heal and grow, and even allows them to reproduce.

Metabolism: Contrary to popular belief, Transformers do indeed eat and drink. This is shown multiple times in canon. Aside from Energon, their primary energy source, Transformers also consume metals, oil, other fuels, and other base materials from which they derive energy and raw materials for cellular growth. The sources of these nutrients include several Cybertronian dishes mentioned within the canon and the consumption of Cyber-plants and the "flesh"of various cyber-fauna, which one could conclude form the ingredients of these various dishes. Some Transformers have even been known to engage in cannibalism.

Growth: Transformers do indeed grow. Being made up of self-replicating nanomachine cells easily allows for the overall increase in mass through cellular replication brought on by anabolic processes. There are a number of key examples of this. Alpha Trion is shown at various stages of his life, from a young adult, to middle-age, to venerable elder. In the 1986 movie, we see various Lithonian (another Transformer race) children of various ages running around. In Victory #10 there are numerous Decepticon children of various ages, and in the earlier Victory #6 we see a flash-back of Starsaber and Deathsaurus when they were children. This is definitive evidence of growth.

Given that they are covered in rigid armored exoskeletons (which also form the sections of their alternate modes' shells), young Transformers would need to shed their armor periodically as they out-grow them, essentially reverting to "protoform" state before trans-scanning a larger alternate mode (of their individual base alt mode type), more appropriate to their larger mass, and then growing new armor.

Adaptation: Transformers are, perhaps, some of the most adaptable forms of life in the universe, readily adapting to virtually any environment or world. Their ability to take on alternate modes to blend in with the worlds they visit, adjust to different fuels, assimilate different cultures and languages, are all exemplary examples of their adaptability.

Response to Stimuli: Transformers sensory systems are some of the most advanced of any species. Aside from the typical sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, they also have electromagnetic sensors, thermal sensors, and many more. These allow them to quickly absorb information and react to situations around them. The cognitive abilities of the humanoid Transformer species in particular, are on par with Human intelligence, leading to full sentience as well. This is clear evidence of the ability to respond to stimuli.

Reproduction: Perhaps the most controversial of all of the required criteria among Transformers fans. Within the canon, Transformers have been established to have multiple means of producing new life. These include construced bodies and/or protoforms imbued with a Spark (from The Matrix, Vector Sigma, the Allspark, etc.), budding, and even evidence of sexual reproduction through the union of male and female.

Many fans believe that "because Transformers are 'robots', they cannot reproduce, they cannot mate and bear offspring, they have to be built, just like Earth robots." What these fans fail to take into account, it that Transformers are not Earth robots, and not limited by our current level of robotic technology. They are living organisms, bound by the laws of biology. Their bodies are made up of self-replicating nanomachine cells containing cybernetic DNA. They're male and female, they seek out mates among the opposite sex, they even marry, and have been shown, in various canon sources, to have children from these unions.

It was only Marvel comics which ever established Transformers as genderless—with no females at all— and even there they could reproduce through the asexual process of budding. If, in the one continuity where they were indeed sexless, they could reproduce asexually, then, it stands to reason, that in all of the continuities where they are male and female, they can reproduce sexually. This is backed up by the numerous Transformer families we see in the canon. The only thing we never see is the actual act of mating. We don't even see Spike and Carly mate and yet we know Daniel was conceived through their union. There is no reason for it to be any different with Transformers, just because they're "robots". There is more evidence of Transformer sexual reproduction than there is human sexual reproduction within the canon.

This is my theory on the matter based upon what little we know in canon and the inherent limitations of their physiology and necessities of transformation, as well as real world biology:

The male reproductive system consists of a tank which produces and contains the male's cyber-spermatozoa. These contain a randomized mix of half of the male's genes as well as a small amount of Spark energy—the Spark is suffused throughout every cell in a Cybertronian's body (see MtMtE #8). Leading from this reservoir are tubing and pipes which connect to the main reproductive interface. Also connected to this main line are lines from the liquid waste receptacle similar to mammalian males, but likely taking the form of a retractable line and cables capped with a nozzle-like jack, not a phallus (See Bumblebee from the 2007 movie when he "lubricated" on Agent Simmons). This is all protected by the male's retractible "cod plate". Males constantly produce cyber-spermatozoa over the course of their adult lives.

The female reproductive system consists of a rigid ovoid reproductive/gestation chamber located in the lower abdomen and pelvic girdle between the hip mechanisms thus necessitating proportionately wider hips than males. At the top of this chamber are two ovarian nodes in which maturing cyber-ova develop before being released (usually one at a time) into the chamber for fertilization. At the bottom of the chamber is the interface port which is embedded in the seam of the two retractable "birth plates". These are all protected by the female's pelvic armor, which also has a seam running along the center-line that opens to facilitate interfacing or birth. There is no "vagina" and the gestation chamber does not expand during pregnancy. It is of a fixed size. The female only has a limited number of cyber-ova, limiting the number of offspring she can bear over the course of her reproductive life. The exact length and frequency of her fertility cycle, and whether it is a menstrual cycle, estrus cycle, or something else entirely is up for debate, as is whether she ceases to be fertile in her advanced years (as with Humans) or not (as with many other animals).

Power leads in the tip of the male interface jack and female interface port are extremely sensitive erogenous zones.

When interfacing, the male plugs his interface jack into the female's interface port, initiating an energy build-up culminating in the release of the male's cyber-spermatozoa directly into the female's reproductive chamber where they race to link with any potential mature cyber-ova that may have been released by the female's ovarian nodes into the chamber. Should one be present, one of the Cyber-spermatozoa merges with it, initiating gestation during which the genes and Spark energies within each, merge forming a complete zygote which develops within the gestation chamber over time into a new baby.

After gestation is complete, the female's pelvic armor opens, and the birth plates retract allowing the offspring to be removed from the gestation chamber. Given the fixed size of the female's gestation chamber her offspring would, by necessity be very small in relation to her. The infant would grow relatively quickly (though how quick has not been established) being nursed on an energon-rich "milk"—made up of metals and other minerals and nutrients dissolved in an energon solution—produced by the mother's Energomammary synthesizers—until fully weaned between the equivalent ages of human one to two year old, when they start eating "solid" foods.

The exact length of time for each stage of development—Gestation, infancy, toddler, childhood, pre-pubescence, adolescence, adulthood) is undetermined, but canon sources suggest it is significantly longer than that of humans, given that they live for millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions of years (the oldest known Transformers are the lesser gods known as the Original Thirteen Primes, including Alpha Trion and Vector Prime, who have lived for over ten billion years). As Optimus told Raf in TF Prime, Cybertronian life cycles are far longer than that of humans. How much longer is the question.

This is a diagram of the internal anatomy of male and female Cybertronians, detailing all of their major internal systems, including the reproductive systems, as I envision them.

Transformers, Optimus Prime, and Elita One, © Hasbro and Tomy/Takara.

Description
"WARNING. The subjct matter of this piece is controversial. While some specific details are not themselves necessarily canon, they are based upon several pieces of evidence found in the canon, as well as real world science and biology. Be prepared for intellectual debate. If you can't handle being disagreed with, don't bother commenting. Otherwise, keep it civil and on an intellectual level."

"We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron."—Optimus Prime

"The laws of physics appear to be the same everywhere, so it follows that the laws of life are universal too, even if the detail is different."—Professor Stephen Hawking

Robotic organisms; Life forms whose bodies, cellular structure, and DNA is made up of metals, silicon, and similar elements, instead of (or as well as) the Big Six organic elements—Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorus.

There are seven key criteria that the scientific community agrees is absolutely vital for all life everywhere, and without all of which an organism could not survive or thrive as a species. These criteria are:

• Homeostasis: Regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state; for example, sweating to reduce temperature. This can point to warm and cold-blooded species.
• Organization: Made of one or more cells, which are the basic units of life.
• Metabolism: Living things require energy to maintain internal temperature and carry out functions associated with life. Metabolism is change of energy state via anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is converting chemicals and energy from food etc. into living cells. Catabolism is decomposition of organic matter into inorganic substance.
• Growth: Maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism than catabolism. This results in formation of cells and tissue, hence the foundation of growth.
• Adaptation: The property of biologically changing or adjusting, to the changes in the environment. This is related to evolution and mutation.
• Response to stimuli: The response depends of the organism and nature of stimulus. A pinch, sunlight, thunder, shock are stimuli. Organisms starting from unicellular to insects to vertebrates respond to the stimulus as per their make up.
• Reproduction: The characteristic of producing new individuals organisms. The unicellular and lower organisms and some plants, reproduce asexually from a single parent, while organisms higher in the taxonomy reproduce sexually from two parents.

[link]

Within the canon, Transformers have been shown to meet all seven of these criteria at one time or another. The most controversial of these criteria among fans is reproduction. Here is a breakdown of the various criteria and how Transformers meet each one:

Homeostasis: This is, perhaps the hardest to visually depict within the canon, but Transformers have demonstrated this fundamental ability. Their cells generate heat when burning fuel for energy, their cooling systems keep them from overheating, cellular regeneration repairs damage and maintains overall systemic health and functionality. All of this is homeostasis at work.

Organization: According to multiple canon sources, dating as far back as Marvel comics, Transformers are stated to be made up of self-replicating nanomachine cells containing Cybernetic "DNA". They have genes. These cells then form larger functional interdependent systems which, in turn, make up the body of the Transformer. It is through cellular replication that Transformers heal and grow, and even allows them to reproduce.

Metabolism: Contrary to popular belief, Transformers do indeed eat and drink. This is shown multiple times in canon. Aside from Energon, their primary energy source, Transformers also consume metals, oil, other fuels, and other base materials from which they derive energy and raw materials for cellular growth. The sources of these nutrients include several Cybertronian dishes mentioned within the canon and the consumption of Cyber-plants and the "flesh"of various cyber-fauna, which one could conclude form the ingredients of these various dishes. Some Transformers have even been known to engage in cannibalism.

Growth: Transformers do indeed grow. Being made up of self-replicating nanomachine cells easily allows for the overall increase in mass through cellular replication brought on by anabolic processes. There are a number of key examples of this. Alpha Trion is shown at various stages of his life, from a young adult, to middle-age, to venerable elder. In the 1986 movie, we see various Lithonian (another Transformer race) children of various ages running around. In Victory #10 there are numerous Decepticon children of various ages, and in the earlier Victory #6 we see a flash-back of Starsaber and Deathsaurus when they were children. This is definitive evidence of growth.

Given that they are covered in rigid armored exoskeletons (which also form the sections of their alternate modes' shells), young Transformers would need to shed their armor periodically as they out-grow them, essentially reverting to "protoform" state before trans-scanning a larger alternate mode (of their individual base alt mode type), more appropriate to their larger mass, and then growing new armor.

Adaptation: Transformers are, perhaps, some of the most adaptable forms of life in the universe, readily adapting to virtually any environment or world. Their ability to take on alternate modes to blend in with the worlds they visit, adjust to different fuels, assimilate different cultures and languages, are all exemplary examples of their adaptability.

Response to Stimuli: Transformers sensory systems are some of the most advanced of any species. Aside from the typical sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, they also have electromagnetic sensors, thermal sensors, and many more. These allow them to quickly absorb information and react to situations around them. The cognitive abilities of the humanoid Transformer species in particular, are on par with Human intelligence, leading to full sentience as well. This is clear evidence of the ability to respond to stimuli.

Reproduction: Perhaps the most controversial of all of the required criteria among Transformers fans. Within the canon, Transformers have been established to have multiple means of producing new life. These include construced bodies and/or protoforms imbued with a Spark (from The Matrix, Vector Sigma, the Allspark, etc.), budding, and even evidence of sexual reproduction through the union of male and female.

Many fans believe that "because Transformers are 'robots', they cannot reproduce, they cannot mate and bear offspring, they have to be built, just like Earth robots." What these fans fail to take into account, it that Transformers are not Earth robots, and not limited by our current level of robotic technology. They are living organisms, bound by the laws of biology. Their bodies are made up of self-replicating nanomachine cells containing cybernetic DNA. They're male and female, they seek out mates among the opposite sex, they even marry, and have been shown, in various canon sources, to have children from these unions.

It was only Marvel comics which ever established Transformers as genderless—with no females at all— and even there they could reproduce through the asexual process of budding. If, in the one continuity where they were indeed sexless, they could reproduce asexually, then, it stands to reason, that in all of the continuities where they are male and female, they can reproduce sexually. This is backed up by the numerous Transformer families we see in the canon. The only thing we never see is the actual act of mating. We don't even see Spike and Carly mate and yet we know Daniel was conceived through their union. There is no reason for it to be any different with Transformers, just because they're "robots". There is more evidence of Transformer sexual reproduction than there is human sexual reproduction within the canon.

This is my theory on the matter based upon what little we know in canon and the inherent limitations of their physiology and necessities of transformation, as well as real world biology:

The male reproductive system consists of a tank which produces and contains the male's cyber-spermatozoa. These contain a randomized mix of half of the male's genes as well as a small amount of Spark energy—the Spark is suffused throughout every cell in a Cybertronian's body (see MtMtE #8). Leading from this reservoir are tubing and pipes which connect to the main reproductive interface. Also connected to this main line are lines from the liquid waste receptacle similar to mammalian males, but likely taking the form of a retractable line and cables capped with a nozzle-like jack, not a phallus (See Bumblebee from the 2007 movie when he "lubricated" on Agent Simmons). This is all protected by the male's retractible "cod plate". Males constantly produce cyber-spermatozoa over the course of their adult lives.

The female reproductive system consists of a rigid ovoid reproductive/gestation chamber located in the lower abdomen and pelvic girdle between the hip mechanisms thus necessitating proportionately wider hips than males. At the top of this chamber are two ovarian nodes in which maturing cyber-ova develop before being released (usually one at a time) into the chamber for fertilization. At the bottom of the chamber is the interface port which is embedded in the seam of the two retractable "birth plates". These are all protected by the female's pelvic armor, which also has a seam running along the center-line that opens to facilitate interfacing or birth. There is no "vagina" and the gestation chamber does not expand during pregnancy. It is of a fixed size. The female only has a limited number of cyber-ova, limiting the number of offspring she can bear over the course of her reproductive life. The exact length and frequency of her fertility cycle, and whether it is a menstrual cycle, estrus cycle, or something else entirely is up for debate, as is whether she ceases to be fertile in her advanced years (as with Humans) or not (as with many other animals).

Power leads in the tip of the male interface jack and female interface port are extremely sensitive erogenous zones.

When interfacing, the male plugs his interface jack into the female's interface port, initiating an energy build-up culminating in the release of the male's cyber-spermatozoa directly into the female's reproductive chamber where they race to link with any potential mature cyber-ova that may have been released by the female's ovarian nodes into the chamber. Should one be present, one of the Cyber-spermatozoa merges with it, initiating gestation during which the genes and Spark energies within each, merge forming a complete zygote which develops within the gestation chamber over time into a new baby.

After gestation is complete, the female's pelvic armor opens, and the birth plates retract allowing the offspring to be removed from the gestation chamber. Given the fixed size of the female's gestation chamber her offspring would, by necessity be very small in relation to her. The infant would grow relatively quickly (though how quick has not been established) being nursed on an energon-rich "milk"—made up of metals and other minerals and nutrients dissolved in an energon solution—produced by the mother's Energomammary synthesizers—until fully weaned between the equivalent ages of human one to two year old, when they start eating "solid" foods.

The exact length of time for each stage of development—Gestation, infancy, toddler, childhood, pre-pubescence, adolescence, adulthood) is undetermined, but canon sources suggest it is significantly longer than that of humans, given that they live for millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions of years (the oldest known Transformers are the lesser gods known as the Original Thirteen Primes, including Alpha Trion and Vector Prime, who have lived for over ten billion years). As Optimus told Raf in TF Prime, Cybertronian life cycles are far longer than that of humans. How much longer is the question.

This is a diagram of the internal anatomy of male and female Cybertronians, detailing all of their major internal systems, including the reproductive systems, as I envision them.

Transformers, Optimus Prime, and Elita One, © Hasbro and Tomy/Takara.