In the past, TF series had always drawn a clear line between the Cybertronians and or other life forms such as humans, Technological and organic. Even in Beast Wars and Beast Machines Era they introduced Techorganic bodies, the line between organic or part organic and non-organic is still clear. But in TFP, that line is seriously challenged. Obviously it is all done to show even the Cybertronians are still essentially robots, they are a lot like any organic life. They often refer the Cybertronian centers of nervous system as brains, like it is in humans, whereas in the past, they always referred them as processors, they also used to always use mechanical terms to refer Cybertronian body parts. But in TFP, it mentioned like human limbs. They also showed that Cybertronian body parts or organs such as a voice box and a T-Cog cannot be replaced easily anymore than a human limb or organ can.

Additionally "biological-warfare program" was part of Decepticon method to win the war for Cybertron, whereas in the past, any virus in a TF series would be computer virus or viral program, in TFP it is an actual living infectious agent, and the cure isn't an anti-viral program, but made from a chemical formula. They even have gone as far as giving Cybertronians CNA, or Cyber-nucleic acid, the genetic code and building blocks of Cybertronian life, much like what DNA is to organic beings.

So how exactly should be consider TFP Cybertronian life forms to be? Cyber-Organic, or Bio-technological?

 

So, no one has any interest or thoughts on this subject?

I forgot to mention during the series premiere arc, Optimus mentioned Megatron won't prevail as long as Energon flows in his "verins." Another portrayal that Cybertronians are more like organic beings than technological entities.

 

Autonomous mechanical organisms  

 

I'm not sure why they started referring to things like Cybertronian "biology" and whatnot, when they're clearly robots.I just think of it as being kind of metaphorical, or using terms like "biology" simply makes a comparison of how the components function to how a human's organs work.

Things like the T-cog, I just figure it's a complex part that can't be manufactured with the limited equipment the Autobots have on Earth. If they'd had access to Cybertron (and if it hadn't already been rendered lifeless), they probably would've had some sort of fabricator or repair facilities or manufacturing plant that could've produced a new T-cog. And the Nemesis probably has something like a fabricator and repair bay where new parts can be built for 'Cons who were damaged in battle.

As for their "brains," that could simply be what they call their processors. Their technology is so far ahead of ours, they're robots but have complex emotions and personalities and are very obviously alive. Their processors and related components might even be a step or two beyond quantum computers.

I would still classify them as robots or synthetics or "machine life." Just as alive as we are, but in a very different way. But for me the bottom line is, even though they're machines (not "just machines," either), they're very clearly people.

 

androids

 

No, it's "We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron"!

 

Well, if a human Canon Character or human fanon character was revealed to be half Cybertronian. We wouldn't call them what Data from Star Trek is. we call them Techno-Organics.

 

This series has focused on making the Cybertronians similar to living, organic species harder than any previous TF series. They actually have clarified organs like a voice box(or a Cybertronian throat) and a T-Cog are actual organs or Cyber-organs that cannot be simply replaced or reconstructed. When Bumblebee's T-Cog was stolen, Arcee said it's the organ, not component that allows them to scan vehicles and transform. Ratchet pointed out it was a biomechanism that he can't just make, and if it were that easy he would've replaced Bumblebee's voice box a long time ago.

They also blurred the line between robotics and organics by giving Cybertronians genetic codes. So in this series, Cybertronians have essentially all the traits of a organic species, which's why I think Cyber-organic maybe the proper term to describe TFP Cybertronians

 

Everyone seems to forget that you can clone transformers. You can not clone a robot. CNA is most likely Silicon based, and would explain the harder than flesh outer skin. Transformers have bones (G2) organs (Voice box, sparks, Transformation cogs) and a muscular system (When Bulkhead was healing he had to exercise. Hydraulics, when fixed do not require that to return to work.) Robots in disguies is no longer true, they are aliens... Nothing more or less.

 

Organic refers to a carbon based life form though, right? So calling them anything-organic wouldn't be correct regardless of how human-like they are. It was made clear in the episode where the Nemesis came alive (forgive me, I can't remember the title) that Cybertronians weren't carbon based.

 

Organic is tricky word. We think of it as alive, and we know of only carbon being alive. A silicon life form might also have the appearance of organic. It really would be interesting though.

 

I think they made the mistake by involving the terms "organic" and " .. nucleic acid" in the mix involving Mechanical lifeforms. I understand that they wanted to use terms that people would be able to relate and understand, but that also had the unfortunate side effect that many read waaaay too into the term. Had they used different terms like that were to emulate the word would of been better, but eh, I also think along a different set of lines at times ...

 

Well, they have CNA instead of DNA. This alone puts them in a different category to any lifeform on Earth, since all lifeforms on Earth utilise DNA. You could probably just class as Cybernucleic Lifeforms or something, and then you gotta start differentiating the typical Cybertronians from Predacons and Scraplets and stuff. It'd be interesting, certainly!  

 

It was a disjunction for me when Ratchet started talking about Soundwave's drives that sounded like something who was not part of the regular writing team would say.

I don't mind the way they speak about them - it's not like having Scavenger snoring in Armada - that ground my gears for sure.

Besides making them seem closer to Humans even though they are made of metal is a logical (there's that word again) way to distinguish them from regular robots in sci-fi.

I feel Transformers Prime's characters feel more natural than Doctor Who's Daleks and Cybermen do lately where they randomly give them new super powers every five minutes and generally mess about with them it seems a bit forced to me at times.

But I can't see any good reason why Ultra Magnus couldn't use the warship's parts to have a better hand engineered for him... unless he simply decided he didn't trust Knockout to make it for him.

It might be a nice touch to have Knockout try to make Magnus a new hand to get in the Autobots good books. and Magnus won't use it as he does not trust him.

Funny how everyone seems to have forgotten Magnus has the same Body Template as Optimus had and so the hand from Nemesis Prime would have fitted perfectly on him.

Oh and Beast Wars wasn't that obvious they still had a more complex basis in their personalities with some of it contained in their Spark and other elements in their cortical Processors. The best example of this is how the Predacons brainwashed the Autobot Pods.

I notice even Grimlock now shares the same bestial excuse for his inner rage that the Maximals had to come to terms with in Beast Wars... suggesting the DNA / CNA of their beast modes has an effect on their personality too... I doubt Tarantulas would be eating Deer if he didn't have a Spider-Mode.

 

With the predacon backstory you kind of had to make them Organic like. Robots could be built, but we had to bring the predacons into the story, and if one side could build them so could the other and we end up with a transformer Generation One Gestalt battle.

 

I always thought that the spark contained the cna and held all the thought and personality, whie the processor or "brain" would be the central hub of senses, like sight and sound, but only receiving and processing, but never decision. So ananotomicly speaking I like to think that they are syntheticly organic.

 

I classify them as robots...in disguise.

 

That might be the case.

I just remembered another step the series took to make the Cybertronian resemble organic life. During the One Shall Rise arc of season 1 finale, they showed Unicron's spark or anti-spark was shown beating, like human or animal heartbeat. And they have referred the sparks as hearts of souls of Cybtronians throughout the series. So even though they are metal, they have beating hearts known as sparks.

 

If most life(if not all life) on earth is carbon based life, then we can call Cybertronians, cybertronium based life forms. They're life that developed to make use of cybertronian alloys instead of carbon.