Theory:Rapid cell regeneration

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The following fan theories are about rapid cell regeneration.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
This power depends of the individual self-image. It heals the person using it to what they think they should like.	None.	+ All powers come from the brain. • This has not been proven in the show. + Claire's hair also "regenerates" when she is burned by Ted's power. - This is probably because they can't cut the actress's hair. • They can make a 100% burnt Claire digitally, so they probably could have done a hairless Claire pretty easily. The brain restores the body to its last known healthy form, which is WITH the hair. + Peter's tattoo vanishes minutes after is made. - Tattoos are essentially made by wounding the body, thus leading to regeneration. + Claire's hair seems to grow back, but Peter very obviously has gotten a haircut.
This power creates the matter necessary for new body parts to grow.	None.	+ Growth needs matter, which would usually be taken from the body, leading to weight loss, and yet none of the known evolved humans with this power displayed this. - Maybe the wounds aren't big enough to be noticed by the body. + Peter loses a great deal of blood in Homecoming with no adverse side effects. • While it is explained as an overload of powers, Peter did become sick shortly after that incident, which could indicate that matter was appropriated from various organs (albeit not enough to have an immediate loss of health) in order to create enough blood for him to survive. • If that's the case, then the power would break one of the main rule of physics (that matter cannot be created, only transformed).
Heroes with this power cannot contract the Shanti virus.	None.	+ Peter shows no symptoms of the virus when landing in an infected future New York. - Neither does Caitlin. • This could simply be due to the fact that Peter and Caitlin are not near anyone with the virus. It's unknown how contagious it is, or whether it could be airborne all over New York. + Bob believes Claire is the key to curing the virus. - Bob is a liar. • Claire's blood does indeed heal the virus. • This was achieved through a combination of Claire's blood and Mohinder's antibodies, which implies that regeneration alone is not enough to counter the virus. - Peter was supposed to have died in the outbreak from the Shanti virus in the alternate future shown in Out of Time. • Peter was NOT supposed to have died in the outbreak, Nathan was. Peter's status as dead in that future stemmed from the fact that everyone still thought he died when he nearly blew up New York. • Peter does not have this ability; he is able to mimic this ability. The virus might prevent him from accessing his empathic ability to mimic rapid cellular regeneration. • Adam seems very certain that he will survive the release of the virus--of course, his self-image is astronomical, and he has a god complex.
The exact process of rapid cell regeneration involves a rapid release of some sort of healing chemical from the brain into the bloodstream.	None.	+ Although abilities are centered in the brain, Adam was able to heal Nathan by giving him some of his blood. (Four Months Ago...) + Claire was not able to heal when she had a branch stuck in her head. Peter was not able to heal with the shard of glass in his head. Obstructions such as these could prevent the release of the "healing chemical." • It is possible that another bodily fluid, such as tears from either Adam or Claire, could heal people.
"Death" is caused by piercing of the cerebellum and brain stem.	None.	+ It is in that region they are both pierced. + The cerebellum controls motor functions making the body paralyzed. The brain stem controls the heart. Block that connection and the heart stops. + With blood stopped, regeneration would slow as cells are in hibernation. As soon as the object blocking the connection is removed, the heart restarts and regeneration resumes its rapid rate and consciousness returns.
This ability grants a certain degree of superhuman strength due to it preventing fatigue and prolonging stamina.	None.	+ Muscles would be able to repair as they tear, bones would be able to mend as they break, effectively increasing the limit of a persons strength.
Removing the head or destroying the brain is simply a method that the Company has scared Adam with, and would not actually kill those with rapid cell regeneration.	None.	+ So far, Adam and Claire are the only known people to have this power naturally. Neither has yet been completely killed, and so it could be inferred that no person with the ability has been completely killed; thus, how would the Company know how to kill them for sure? + Company members would hardly call Adam "immortal" or regard him as especially dangerous if the solution to putting him down for good was as simple as a shotgun blast to the head. • The Company could have kept Adam alive in order to preserve his blood to use for testing and healing. Adam could have easily lied to Peter about being "immortal" in his attempt to get him on side. + Syler, who knows how things work, tells Claire that he can't kill her even if he wanted to. - According to Chandra Suresh's research the power of evolved humans lie in the brain, so if the brain was destroyed the power would be gone. + In Powerless, Angela Petrelli tells Nathan and Matt that a regenerator can be killed by a shot to the head (because Matt is armed with a pistol, presumably she means a single bullet). However, Mr. Bennet was shot in the head, and regenerated from death using Claire's blood. Also, Claire and Peter have both been recovered from having large objects jammed into their brains. + In I Am Become Death, both Peter and Future Claire survived being at ground zero when Future Sylar blew up Costa Verde. If a nuclear level explosion isn't enough to vaporize someone beyond the point of recovery. . .
The speed of regeneration will become progressively quicker.	None.	+ Adam has been able to heal at a much faster rate in the present than he did in the past.
The ability allows a person to survive without oxygen.	Adam appears to have no trouble breathing, despite being buried alive in an enclosed space. (Powerless)	• We don't know how long Adam had been buried when we saw him; if it had only been a few minutes there would certainly have been enough air in the casket with him for that amount of time. + Adam seems to live very well (despite the fact he is buried alive and far away of any human contact) in his grave. - Meredith takes Claire to an empty storage container where she sucks the oxygen out of the air by setting it on fire hence making Claire appear to suffocate. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei) - Adam states that he has died dozens of times in his tomb. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei)
If you revived a healer after they were impaled with something causing "death" by pulling it out of them 1000's of years later, they would revive unaffected.	None.	- This would require the brain to have remained intact and relatively unharmed. This would almost require extensive planning, and even with that would be very unlikely. + In Collision, it is stated that Claire was dumped naked in a river since the night before, considering the conditions, the brain would have not been intact after this much time had passed, yet she was able to regenerate. - While there could be significant damage to the brain from spending a night in a river, it would be very minor compared to the deterioration that would be seen over the course of centuries. Most immediate damage to the body shortly after death is to organs that are directly accessible to insects and microbes (skin, lungs, etc), while protected organs like the brain take a bit more time.
This power wouldn't stop you from being killed if you were strangled.	None.	- This wouldn't kill a person if they can survive without oxygen. Adam can survive without oxygen in his grave. + If the brain controls abilities and the brain naturally needs oxygen to function, stopping the air from going to the brain would stop activities from the brain which would cause it to stop its super healing ability and then death.
When Claire's mom made the air thin in One Of Us One Of Them, she couldn't breathe.	None.	- It may be that over-time Adam has adapted to survive without Oxygen, he was buried alive in a casket without it. Claire has never been in that situation except that one time, and has only lived for 16 years. + Adam died dozens of times in his coffin. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei)