Forgive me if this is the wrong area and point me in the right direction or if this has been discussed, but I have a question which relates to how the zombie body functions and how to kill it. OK..so I keep hearing about headshots/stemshots. Well, I was thinking about this long and hard while driving..like I often do. If a zombie is a "living" creature (it breathes, eats, moves) why can't you just shoot the thing like you would normally do with anyone else? My reason is that in order for a creature to be mobile and function..in any capacity, the body must be in at least a minimal functional condition. The lungs must supply oxygen into the blood stream and the heart must pump blood to supply the brain. The kidneys must clean the blood...etc etc... So if I blew out a zombie's heart..why would it keep living? Even if the zombie had an undeniable will to live, it would eventually bleed out internally or externally and die right?

OR...does the zombie body somehow transcend the laws of our bodies...e.g. movie zombies

Probably depends a LOT on the type of zed... I havent read up in the bio section, but from movies it seems like some zeds dont breathe... or do so at a very slow rate.

But yeah, if the zombie type is one that needs air & circulates... something, enough holes in the body = dead zed. But they probably still take more shots... no pain, slower metabolism, lack of fear or thoughts of future, all add up to a hard to kill baddie.

Yeah, I mean realistically, I don't think there could be more than one type of zombie..a carrier, a human whose soul purpose is to spread the viruses/bacteria, whatever and would not posses any type of real super-human abilities other than possibly no bodily restriction of strength (like us when adrenaline kicks in). Now, I know that *most* of us don't believe in real zombies, or at least movie zombies, but I don't see how these things could possibly live after taking a mag of 5.56 or 7.62 to the chest given you hit the right spot(s).

I think some of the movies are that way to... but then some have the "only headshot" deal. Though I cant agree there must only be one type of zombie, having all the different types makes it waaaay more interesting.

haha..that would be too easy...

All questions about shot placement depends on how the zed was created.

1. Disease: 28 Days/Weeks Later, As we've discussed in the Biology section, it is impossible for a disease to re-animate a corpse. Therefore, all disease-based zeds are still alive. Shoot for the head. If you don't have good aim, go for the chest. If it will kill a human instantly, it will redead. These are the most likely types of zombies

2. Organism: Las plagas or goa'uld anyone? Unlikely as they may be, they can be tricky to kill. You have to finish off the organism to finish of the zed. Where is the organism? Likely the brain (Boom, Headshot), or the spine (high calibur to the chest or shoot them in the back).

3. Technological: Borg, Replicators. Good luck... Uh, I guess shoot the control units or blast a hole in their chest. EMP is a good move though, if they aren't shielded. Fun times if they are... Melee weapons worked well on them in TV media, though.

4. "Hell Filled Up" Paranormal: All those "- Of The Dead" movies. Take out the head, or use the high calibur stuff to blow a huge hole in the chest.

5. "Lolwiccan Summons Demons" Paranormal: Army of Darkness. Sorry, you're kinda boned. Just taking out the body's communication lines won't do a thing. Body parts will animate on their own. Explosives are a must. Since magic obviously works in this model... I'd put on my robe and wizard hat, and magic missile that crap.

6. "People Become What They Really Are" Paranormal: No examples. Basically, some effect turns people into something smiliar to what they are in their personality. So people who live their life just stumbling about and without any point but to eat, drink, and keep existing? Zeded. See disease based or "Hell Filled Up" for tactics.

Hope this helps.

I would consider a "zombie" that is nothing more than an infected individual (parasite, viral, bacterial, what-not) to be a conventional though nasty threat, and would imagine normal methods of dealing with something angry that wants to eat you should work.

If you step into the realm of the supernatural, things start getting weird and I am not convinced you can rely on simply shooting an undead zombie and being all set. Anything short of dismemberment and incineration would leave me with some nasty lingering doubts.

Shooting in the head does make a certain amount of sense. Even if for some creepy reason it didn't outright destroy the thing, I imagine it would be a lot easier to get away from something lacking the functional ability to see, hear, and smell.

Depending on the source, really the big things to worry about from a zombie would be the teeth and claws, since this is supposedly how infection is spread. It just makes sense to take away an enemy's weapons.