How do Ents Breathe?

***Valandil*** · 09-29-2005, 08:24 AM

So really now...

Do Ents breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide? Like animals, humans, and presumably Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, etc?

Or do they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen? Like trees and other kinds of plants?

Which is it?

The Witch-King of Angmar · 09-29-2005, 08:27 AM

I'd imagine they breathed out Oxygen, seeing as their so closely related to Trees. Even though them breathing wasn't mentioned.

Maybe they don't

Wayfarer · 09-29-2005, 11:13 AM

Well, what do Ents eat? They eat fertile soil, just like trees.
And what do Ents drink? They drink water, just like trees.
Ents also have leaves, which are used by trees for respiration.

There is probably a good chance, then, that Ents breathe in Carbon and breathe out Oxygen.

Although, given the fact that they have mouths and can speak, it is possible that they also have lungs. That would be pretty interesting.

The Gaffer · 09-29-2005, 12:14 PM

Presumably, at night, they do the "dark reaction" respiration, which IIRC was o2 -> c02

Though treebeard would spend a whole week just breathing, so we can rest assured that it was a complicated matter.

***Earniel*** · 09-29-2005, 12:30 PM

Interesting idea. Much would depend on whether they have chlorofyl in their skin or hair, I think.

Perhaps they use both: photosynthesis through their skin and breathing through lungs. A bit like a self-contained system.

Both using and producing oxygen.

***Sister Golden Hair*** · 09-30-2005, 05:28 PM

The Ents were not plants or trees were they? They were created by the Valar or Eru, since the Valar couldn't create, to watch over the forests, right? So we really don't know what they were do we? So since we don't really no what kind of creatures they were, we can't really answer this question can we?

me9996 · 09-30-2005, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayfarer

Well, what do Ents eat? They eat fertile soil, just like trees.
And what do Ents drink? They drink water, just like trees.
Ents also have leaves, which are used by trees for respiration.

There is probably a good chance, then, that Ents breathe in Carbon and breathe out Oxygen.

Although, given the fact that they have mouths and can speak, it is possible that they also have lungs. That would be pretty interesting.

For once I agree with you, Wayfarer...

P.S.
90 seconds, I still have some problems

***Earniel*** · 09-30-2005, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sister Golden Hair

The Ents were not plants or trees were they? They were created by the Valar or Eru, since the Valar couldn't create, to watch over the forests, right? So we really don't know what they were do we?

No, but we know they're close to trees because Ents can turn tree-ish and trees can turn Ent-ish. And Pippin and Merry on their first meeting with Treebeard thought at first he had been an ordinary tree so we can also assume they look tree-ish too. So it isn't illogical to assume they shared some characteristics with trees and perhaps other plants as well. Of course it's all speculation, but it's fun.

***Sister Golden Hair*** · 09-30-2005, 06:27 PM

But doesn't Tolkien say somewhere that they turned treeish after thousands of years of being around the trees, or something like that? I need to read LotRs again.

***Earniel*** · 09-30-2005, 06:49 PM

Oh, I wouldn't know. I'll have to reread LoTR on that matter too some day.

BeardofPants · 09-30-2005, 07:09 PM

Well, they were definately tending turn tree-ish as a species without their entwives. ::shrug::
Personally, I'm of the opinion that they breathed using planty apparatus, not mammalian. Now that brings us to the real grunty question : Did they wear pants???

trolls' bane · 10-01-2005, 02:15 AM

Hmm! I wonder. I'd like to find out myself. I should read LotR again, too.

me9996 · 10-01-2005, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sister Golden Hair

But doesn't Tolkien say somewhere that they turned treeish after thousands of years of being around the trees, or something like that? I need to read LotRs again.

No he said that some were getting treeish in nature (and the hurons more so)

***Valandil*** · 10-01-2005, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by me9996

No he said that some were getting treeish in nature (and the hurons more so)

I think you mean 'huorns'...

"Hurons" are a tribe of American Indians.

trolls' bane · 10-01-2005, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valandil

"Hurons" are a tribe of American Indians.

Didn't I say that all along there were Ents living just up the road? Wait, no, I didn't...

inked · 10-01-2005, 01:23 PM

Actually, Valandil, this is precisely the wrong question to ask of the text! It implies a total subjection of faerie to a materialistic scheme of the nature of the universe. An understanding which Tolkien was at pains to subvert! And I do not think that the Frodo Seminar has pronounced on whether or not the incorporation of dryads is technically an innovation on the part of Tolkien or merely a biological conundrum arising from the author's love of trees. This leads to the whole problem of the distortion of the naiads (a la Tom Bombadil's wife) in a machosexist degradation to all males in the nasty swamp thing where (allegedly) Frodo nearly falls in to become "a little candle".

Really, I mean do you wonder whether they perspire and need to use Ban or RightGuard, too? (Although, the real concern there would be the effect freon or its Middle Earth analogues in the destruction of ozone and global warming gas production (could thses be the noxious fumes from Mordor?). I mean, one could view the Ents as performing a vital role in preventing global warming by the fixaton of carbon dioxide as sugars, couldn't one? Then again if they respire it, are they contributing to the problem of global warming? My what a can of worms you have opened here! Are Ents in any way responsible for the recent hurricanes on the Gulf Coast of the USA? They are certainly depicted as being in touch with the acceleration of natural process in the destruction of that tower place - whatchmacallit with that bad old istari, Screwupman or whatever his name was! I mean, have they finally lost their cool after all the years without the Entwives?)

Come to think of it, where are those Entwives? Was their removal really an occult mode of presenting the empowerment of women as a positive or negative impact on the world? (Discuss with at least three citations and some actual Entish!)

Really, Valandil, you must free yourself from the shackles of such 20th Century questions and step back inot a time when you merely enjoy the anthropomorphic dilettantism of the misogynist author who obviously preferred trees to women! So the real question should be not "how do Ents respire?" but "Do Entwives glisten?"

Sheesh!

But, really, how do you *feel* about whether they breathe in O2 or exhale CO2 or vice versa? Does the fact that it is a male breathing in whatever mode make you *feel* any differently? Discuss the nature of *feelings* in LOTR as a general mode of perception of the nature of the Universe. Please cite only Ents and do provide translations from the Entish!

***Earniel*** · 10-01-2005, 02:34 PM

I think I speak for a lot of people if I say: Eh?

trolls' bane · 10-01-2005, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inked

Actually, Valandil, this is precisely the wrong question to ask of the text! It implies a total subjection of faerie to a materialistic scheme of the nature of the universe. An understanding which Tolkien was at pains to subvert! And I do not think that the Frodo Seminar has pronounced on whether or not the incorporation of dryads is technically an innovation on the part of Tolkien or merely a biological conundrum arising from the author's love of trees. This leads to the whole problem of the distortion of the naiads (a la Tom Bombadil's wife) in a machosexist degradation to all males in the nasty swamp thing where (allegedly) Frodo nearly falls in to become "a little candle".

Really, I mean do you wonder whether they perspire and need to use Ban or RightGuard, too? (Although, the real concern there would be the effect freon or its Middle Earth analogues in the destruction of ozone and global warming gas production (could thses be the noxious fumes from Mordor?). I mean, one could view the Ents as performing a vital role in preventing global warming by the fixaton of carbon dioxide as sugars, couldn't one? Then again if they respire it, are they contributing to the problem of global warming? My what a can of worms you have opened here! Are Ents in any way responsible for the recent hurricanes on the Gulf Coast of the USA? They are certainly depicted as being in touch with the acceleration of natural process in the destruction of that tower place - whatchmacallit with that bad old istari, Screwupman or whatever his name was! I mean, have they finally lost their cool after all the years without the Entwives?)

Well said! I should recruit Ents for Terraforming!

me9996 · 10-01-2005, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valandil

I think you mean 'huorns'...

"Hurons" are a tribe of American Indians.

Oops... Yes I mean "Huorns"

trolls' bane · 10-01-2005, 05:50 PM

Well, I'm a great reader and all, but I often read words yet don't pay attention. Did I ever mention that I thought Bilbo was Biblo, and that Tsavong Lah the Warmaster was Warmster?

09-29-2005, 08:24 AM	#1
*Valandil* High King at Annuminas Administrator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming - USA Posts: 10,752	How do Ents Breathe? So really now... Do Ents breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide? Like animals, humans, and presumably Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, etc? Or do they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen? Like trees and other kinds of plants? Which is it? __________________ My Fanfic: Letters of Firiel Tales of Nolduryon Visitors Come to Court Ñ á ë ?* ó ú é ä ï ö Ö ñ É Þ ð ß ® ™ [Xurl=Xhttp://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=ABCXYZ#postABCXYZ]text[/Xurl] Splitting Threads is SUCH Hard Work!!

09-29-2005, 08:27 AM	#2
The Witch-King of Angmar Elven Warrior Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minas Morgul Posts: 143	I'd imagine they breathed out Oxygen, seeing as their so closely related to Trees. Even though them breathing wasn't mentioned. Maybe they don't __________________ *"Do not come between the Nazgûl and his prey"* I'm an Xbox Guy! Xbox Guys

09-29-2005, 11:13 AM	#3
Wayfarer The Insufferable Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 3,333	Well, what do Ents eat? They eat fertile soil, just like trees. And what do Ents drink? They drink water, just like trees. Ents also have leaves, which are used by trees for respiration. There is probably a good chance, then, that Ents breathe in Carbon and breathe out Oxygen. Although, given the fact that they have mouths and can speak, it is possible that they also have lungs. That would be pretty interesting. __________________ Disgraced he may be, yet is not dethroned, and keeps the rags of lordship once he owned

09-29-2005, 12:30 PM	#5
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Interesting idea. Much would depend on whether they have chlorofyl in their skin or hair, I think. Perhaps they use both: photosynthesis through their skin and breathing through lungs. A bit like a self-contained system. Both using and producing oxygen. __________________ We are not things.

09-30-2005, 05:28 PM	#6
*Sister Golden Hair* Queen of Nargothrond Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Akron, Ohio - USA Posts: 7,121	The Ents were not plants or trees were they? They were created by the Valar or Eru, since the Valar couldn't create, to watch over the forests, right? So we really don't know what they were do we? So since we don't really no what kind of creatures they were, we can't really answer this question can we? __________________ "Whither go you?" she said. "North away." he said: "to the swords, and the siege, and the walls of defence - that yet for a while in Beleriand rivers may run clean, leaves spring, and birds build their nests, ere Night comes." AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

09-29-2005, 12:14 PM	#4
The Gaffer Elf Lord Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In me taters Posts: 3,288	Presumably, at night, they do the "dark reaction" respiration, which IIRC was o2 -> c02 Though treebeard would spend a whole week just breathing, so we can rest assured that it was a complicated matter.

09-30-2005, 06:27 PM	#9
*Sister Golden Hair* Queen of Nargothrond Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Akron, Ohio - USA Posts: 7,121	But doesn't Tolkien say somewhere that they turned treeish after thousands of years of being around the trees, or something like that? I need to read LotRs again. __________________ "Whither go you?" she said. "North away." he said: "to the swords, and the siege, and the walls of defence - that yet for a while in Beleriand rivers may run clean, leaves spring, and birds build their nests, ere Night comes." AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

09-30-2005, 06:49 PM	#10
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Oh, I wouldn't know. I'll have to reread LoTR on that matter too some day. __________________ We are not things.

09-30-2005, 07:09 PM	#11
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	Well, they were definately tending turn tree-ish as a species without their entwives. ::shrug:: Personally, I'm of the opinion that they breathed using planty apparatus, not mammalian. Now that brings us to the real grunty question : Did they wear pants??? __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords

10-01-2005, 02:15 AM	#12
trolls' bane Entmoot Secretary of the Treasury Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Campsite-by-Giraffe Posts: 5,408	Hmm! I wonder. I'd like to find out myself. I should read LotR again, too. __________________ KI6PFA Amateur Radio Operator

10-01-2005, 01:23 PM	#16
inked Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: sikeston, MO, usa, earth, sol Posts: 3,114	Actually, Valandil, this is precisely the wrong question to ask of the text! It implies a total subjection of faerie to a materialistic scheme of the nature of the universe. An understanding which Tolkien was at pains to subvert! And I do not think that the Frodo Seminar has pronounced on whether or not the incorporation of dryads is technically an innovation on the part of Tolkien or merely a biological conundrum arising from the author's love of trees. This leads to the whole problem of the distortion of the naiads (a la Tom Bombadil's wife) in a machosexist degradation to all males in the nasty swamp thing where (allegedly) Frodo nearly falls in to become "a little candle". Really, I mean do you wonder whether they perspire and need to use Ban or RightGuard, too? (Although, the real concern there would be the effect freon or its Middle Earth analogues in the destruction of ozone and global warming gas production (could thses be the noxious fumes from Mordor?). I mean, one could view the Ents as performing a vital role in preventing global warming by the fixaton of carbon dioxide as sugars, couldn't one? Then again if they respire it, are they contributing to the problem of global warming? My what a can of worms you have opened here! Are Ents in any way responsible for the recent hurricanes on the Gulf Coast of the USA? They are certainly depicted as being in touch with the acceleration of natural process in the destruction of that tower place - whatchmacallit with that bad old istari, Screwupman or whatever his name was! I mean, have they finally lost their cool after all the years without the Entwives?) Come to think of it, where are those Entwives? Was their removal really an occult mode of presenting the empowerment of women as a positive or negative impact on the world? (Discuss with at least three citations and some actual Entish!) Really, Valandil, you must free yourself from the shackles of such 20th Century questions and step back inot a time when you merely enjoy the anthropomorphic dilettantism of the misogynist author who obviously preferred trees to women! So the real question should be not "how do Ents respire?" but "Do Entwives glisten?" Sheesh! But, really, how do you feel about whether they breathe in O2 or exhale CO2 or vice versa? Does the fact that it is a male breathing in whatever mode make you feel any differently? Discuss the nature of feelings in LOTR as a general mode of perception of the nature of the Universe. Please cite only Ents and do provide translations from the Entish! __________________ Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941 Last edited by inked : 10-01-2005 at 01:28 PM.

10-01-2005, 02:34 PM	#17
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	I think I speak for a lot of people if I say: Eh? __________________ We are not things.

10-01-2005, 05:50 PM	#20
trolls' bane Entmoot Secretary of the Treasury Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Campsite-by-Giraffe Posts: 5,408	Well, I'm a great reader and all, but I often read words yet don't pay attention. Did I ever mention that I thought Bilbo was Biblo, and that Tsavong Lah the Warmaster was Warmster? __________________ KI6PFA Amateur Radio Operator

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