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Space marines all have acidic spit, so what if they sneezed in their helmet? Wouldn't that ruin the internals of their helmet and majorly tick off the machine spirit?
Thanks!

SirSertile wrote:
Space marines all have acidic spit, so what if they sneezed in their helmet? Wouldn't that ruin the internals of their helmet and majorly tick off the machine spirit?
Thanks!

The glands that produce nasal mucus are not the same as those that produce saliva.

Well, Kain just sucked all the fun out of this thread. He's right though.

LOL, funny but reasonable topic.

I can't actually recall a space marine sneezing in the lore, and given that space marines are jacked up supermen, perhaps they don't sneeze. Maybe this sort of issue was foreseen during their creation and mitigated, SNEEZING IS FOR THE WEAK.

I doubt we will ever know.

Why do you think they have space marine models without helmets on that look all pissed off? Obviously they sneezed and ruined their helmet. :p

Either that or they saw some tasty food and dribbled....

Only time I've read them coming close was in a temple thing with greater deamon of nugile trapped inside in one of the Ragnar wolfblade stories.

Which book was it?

pm713 wrote:
Which book was it?

Second one.

The temples effect was causing them illness, weakness, sapping strength n effecting them as nugile does. Closest you will get to sneeze is nugile effects.

Hmm not wolf blade, Ragnar's claw I believe.

 Kain wrote:

SirSertile wrote:
Space marines all have acidic spit, so what if they sneezed in their helmet? Wouldn't that ruin the internals of their helmet and majorly tick off the machine spirit?
Thanks!

The glands that produce nasal mucus are not the same as those that produce saliva.

But, what about those like rare occasions when you sneeze, but you hold your mouth shut. Also, keep in mind your nose and mouth are connected. Also, some people sneeze and like stuff comes out their mouth. I imagine if they had the acid implant thing, everything in front of their face would be melted by acid.

 Kain wrote:

pm713 wrote:
Which book was it?

Second one.

Thanks.

SirSertile wrote:

 Kain wrote:

SirSertile wrote:
Space marines all have acidic spit, so what if they sneezed in their helmet? Wouldn't that ruin the internals of their helmet and majorly tick off the machine spirit?
Thanks!

The glands that produce nasal mucus are not the same as those that produce saliva.

But, what about those like rare occasions when you sneeze, but you hold your mouth shut. Also, keep in mind your nose and mouth are connected. Also, some people sneeze and like stuff comes out their mouth. I imagine if they had the acid implant thing, everything in front of their face would be melted by acid.

I believe they are immune to their own acidy nonsense...
Though I also think they control their acid spit. I also believe it's not actually their spit that is acidic they just have the ability to spit poison.

Betcher's Gland
Phase 17: Consists of two identical glands, implanted either into the lower lip, alongside the salivary glands or into the hard palette. The gland works in a similar way to the poison gland of venomous reptiles by synthesizing and storing deadly poison, which the Marines themselves are immune to due to the gland's presence. This allows a Space Marine to spit a blinding contact poison. The poison is also corrosive and can even burn away strong metals given sufficient time.

 purplefood wrote:

SirSertile wrote:

 Kain wrote:

SirSertile wrote:
Space marines all have acidic spit, so what if they sneezed in their helmet? Wouldn't that ruin the internals of their helmet and majorly tick off the machine spirit?
Thanks!

The glands that produce nasal mucus are not the same as those that produce saliva.

But, what about those like rare occasions when you sneeze, but you hold your mouth shut. Also, keep in mind your nose and mouth are connected. Also, some people sneeze and like stuff comes out their mouth. I imagine if they had the acid implant thing, everything in front of their face would be melted by acid.

I believe they are immune to their own acidy nonsense...
Though I also think they control their acid spit. I also believe it's not actually their spit that is acidic they just have the ability to spit poison.

Betcher's Gland
Phase 17: Consists of two identical glands, implanted either into the lower lip, alongside the salivary glands or into the hard palette. The gland works in a similar way to the poison gland of venomous reptiles by synthesizing and storing deadly poison, which the Marines themselves are immune to due to the gland's presence. This allows a Space Marine to spit a blinding contact poison. The poison is also corrosive and can even burn away strong metals given sufficient time.

He's asking about the helmet, not the marine himself.

But just like you said, the glands are in the lower lip, and salivary glands are under the tongue and in the cheeks, so two separate gland systems, and I'm willing to bet that the Betchers gland is activated with a conscious thought, not just constantly producing poison. So while a Marine can produce poison/acid spit, he's not just drooling caustic liquids all day and night

To be honest I don't think it would matter much. Acids tend to react with base metals and such. I doubt you would find many of these exposed on the inside of the helmet because they also react easily with moisture. The inside of a Space Marine helmet would also NEED to contain some kind of rubberized breathing mask. This would be essential to help the marine breath cleanly, create a tight comfortable seal, and prevent moisture building up inside the helmet. Rubbers and plastics are naturally resistant to acid. I would expect the material used for something like a breathing mask would be especially resistant to chemicals. Other materials found on the helmet such as glass and ceramics are also unlikely to react with acid.

A marine wipes his nose with his bionic hand however... Could be a different story

THEY EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No other possible outcome.

The Beltcher's Gland is what creates the acidic spit, a separate organ from whatever makes saliva or mucus.

Its also voluntary, so an involuntary action like sneezing isn't going to release the acid.

So dare I ask what happens if he farts? Could it blow the seals on the lower portion of his armor? Or is a space marine's system immune to such mundane fluctuations of bodily conduct?

The acid saliva seems to be secured into a specific gland in their cheeks that need conscious thought. They still have several other saliva glands, so if they sneezed with their mouths, it's unlikely they would destroy their helmet.

What would cause a problem however if they got shot in the jaw or an enemy melee weapon nicked a gland open. That wouldn't go well for both parties involved.

 Grey Templar wrote:
The Beltcher's Gland is what creates the acidic spit, a separate organ from whatever makes saliva or mucus.

Its also voluntary, so an involuntary action like sneezing isn't going to release the acid.

Unless your gene-seed is mutated so that it becomes somewhat involuntary or something.

 amanita wrote:
So dare I ask what happens if he farts? Could it blow the seals on the lower portion of his armor? Or is a space marine's system immune to such mundane fluctuations of bodily conduct?

Just imagine how bad SW's farts would be: A mix of super human digestive tract, the amount of alcohol they drink, and throw in how bad dog farts are, all rolled together.


As to the sneezing bit, I'm pretty sure the acid is a controlled release.

And as said above, most helmets would have a rubber-esq mouth/nose cover, which if its anything like wearing a gas mask, are actually very good at keeping a stable nasal passage. I don't think I've ever sneezed while wearing a gas mask.

RivenSkull wrote:

 amanita wrote:
So dare I ask what happens if he farts? Could it blow the seals on the lower portion of his armor? Or is a space marine's system immune to such mundane fluctuations of bodily conduct?

Just imagine how bad SW's farts would be: A mix of super human digestive tract, the amount of alcohol they drink, and throw in how bad dog farts are, all rolled together.


As to the sneezing bit, I'm pretty sure the acid is a controlled release.

And as said above, most helmets would have a rubber-esq mouth/nose cover, which if its anything like wearing a gas mask, are actually very good at keeping a stable nasal passage. I don't think I've ever sneezed while wearing a gas mask.

I sneezed in an industrial gas mask once, it was quite gross, and I had to leave it on courtesy of some potent miticide we were using at the time... It tends to pool around your chin after about five minutes and you end up soaking in your own mucus, not nice at all.

Makes the phrase "For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!" into an actual threat.

What happens? He gets mucous all over the inside of his helmet. He then hands it off to the Techmarine to re-calibrate after the Servitors clean it out.

The better question is how do terminators pee.

All SM PA, and this would include TDA, I would imagine, has waste-recycling systems that converts bodily waste into water and nutrient paste for long-term operational sustainability.

 thepowerfulwill wrote:
The better question is how do terminators pee.

Probably the same way iron man does...

They might have a filter in its helmet so they won't sneeze

 ZultanQ wrote:
LOL, funny but reasonable topic.

I can't actually recall a space marine sneezing in the lore, and given that space marines are jacked up supermen, perhaps they don't sneeze. Maybe this sort of issue was foreseen during their creation and mitigated, SNEEZING IS FOR THE WEAK.

I doubt we will ever know.

SNEEZING IS FOR THE WEAK, HANKIES ARE FOR HERETICS, NASAL CAVITIES MUST BE PURE!

-Adeptus Nasallica

Space Marines didnt sneeze...till Mortarion finished his great, 5 thousand years old project...Nurglic Pollen Allergy capable of making Space Marines sneeze.