Editing Gene-seed (section)

== The Organs ==

Oddly, most 40K fluff never refers to most of these organs, especially when situations come up where these organs might have been especially useful. The worst offenders are usually the sensory ones; the Occulobe, Lyman's Ear, and Neuroglottis, taken together, ''ought'' to make them notice things normal humans can't, especially under low-light conditions, but the fluff usually has them only picking up the standard level of detail.

# The '''Secondary Heart''' is pretty self-explanatory. It lets a Space Marine get his blood flowing at a faster rate through his body and probably to the more critical bits, which lets his muscles work harder and longer, and it gives him a backup just in case one fails (i.e. gets shot, stabbed, [[Kor Phaeron|ripped out by Guilliman]], or what have you). The Secondary Heart is not beating at all times. It only activates during times of stress (bear in mind that a twenty mile run is not considered stressful to an Astartes); otherwise, it just sits there awaiting activation.
# The '''Ossmodula''' makes a Space Marine's skeleton grow and incorporate some ceramic dietary supplements into itself and fuses his ribs together into a solid structure. The Tyrant guard's fused ribcage hints that <s>the Hive mind has incorporated Space marine DNA into-</s>{{BLAM}} convergent evolution is at work. <s>Ironically, the fusing of the rib cage would be considered a bad thing, as the Space Marine would not be able to breathe properly-</s>, as pointed out by [[Fabius Bile]] the ribs are not one solid plate but actually many smaller plates with near invisibly small spaces between that allow them to flex and achieve a proper range of motion (so similar to Laminar armor instead of full Plate). Note another explanation is the Multi lung (see bellow) may help push the ribs apart harder than a normal pair of lungs ever could. Also a fully fused rib cage would cause a loss of flexibility and may be an undocumented Ultramarines mutation since the vast majority of them walk around like they've got a broom handle shoved up their asses.
# The '''Biscopea''' triggers muscle growth. These first three organs are often implanted together, as they collectively prepare the Initiate's body for further augmentation. Around this time, the Initiate gets put on a diet containing extra nutrients to fuel his new growth.
# The '''Haemastamen''' enhances a Space Marine's blood to better accommodate the Space Marine's nifty set of new organs by improving its ability to carry oxygen. It also turns it [[Orks|bright red]].
# The '''Larraman's Organ''' creates Larraman's Cells, which are like super-platelets: they make wounds rapidly scab over. This allows Space Marines to keep fighting even when shock and blood loss would kill most people.
# The '''Catalepsean Node''' messes with the body's sleep cycle, letting Space Marines get away with four hours of sleep every day, or even less, and making it possible for them to not lose awareness, even after like 2 weeks without sleep. It also makes the brain susceptible to hypno-therapy, which is a fancy word for "brainwashing" the Initiates while they are asleep. As a nasty side effect, it allows Chaos marines to re-brainwash loyalists they captured alive (or better: in suspended animation). Unsurprisingly to anyone familiar with Chaos, this trick doesn't work in reverse, which might just go to show that the Chaos Marines might be [[Heresy|closer to the true human nature than the loyal Marines...]] or more likely that Chaos is corrupting as fuck.
# The '''Preomnor''' is like a bird's crop, in that it stores food before passing it to the stomach, except that the Preomnor also decontaminates its contents as well. In Ian Watson's Space Marine novel, Initiates celebrated getting this organ by eating the most disgusting things they could until they finally provoked a vomit reflex.
# The '''Omophagea''' is one of the odder organs. It connects to the stomach and the spinal cord, and somehow takes [[Cannibalism|knowledge from the brain tissue that a Space Marine can eat]]. Interestingly, most Space Marines are pretty reluctant to actually eat brains, as the process is physically extremely unpleasant, leaves them in a vulnerable torpor whilst they process the information, and is one of the very few things that can readily make a Space Marine vomit afterwards. The Thousand Sons (pre-heresy) - contrary to their civilised, haughty persona - highly approved of the practice. And, in fact, it is not just the brain, since some Astartes rituals, if not chapter names, originated from this; the Blood Angels and their descendants are especially famous for blood drinking and [[rip and tear]] in general; this is actually because they receive knowledge and visions from it. What? You thought the Blood Angels had visions of Sanguinius only to have a [[grimdark]], [[Machine spirit|mystical aura]]? Before reuniting with their Primarch, the Blood Angels standard operating procedure was to ritually cannibalize their dead officers and sometimes even assume their rank and identity. Additionally, the memories they absorb become very hard to forget (brain washing technologies can help). Now just add some chaos to that mix and you've got heresy brewing...
# The '''Multi-Lung'''... do I have to spell it out? It's an additional lung! It also has a lot of filters and the like, and can function underwater and in low-oxygen atmospheres. In other words, it allows the Space Marine without a helmet to breathe under water and in toxic air. Just how does this third lung fit in with the other two Marines are born with and all the other organs implanted later? Very carefully, that's how.
# The '''Occulobe''' gives Space Marines super-vision, and allows their eyes to adjust to changes in light almost instantly, or at least in the fluff.
# The '''Lyman's Ear''' gives them super-hearing and makes them immune to motion sickness and concussion. However, in-game, they have no particular immunity or even resistance to concussion, probably because it's often delivered by a hammer to the head.
# The '''Sus-an Membrane''' lets them enter a state of ''Sus''pended ''an''imation when they are critically hurt or starving. This serves the purpose of conserving a mortally wounded marine until his body is recovered and healed by apothecaries. So each time you remove a marine model on the tabletop, chances are (fluff-wise) it has entered sus-an, rather than died. In fact, on most campaigns that's what happens to your characters. It should be noted, marines cannot leave suspended animation state at will, and can only be "awakened" through the use of specific drugs.
# The '''Melanochrome''' implants into the lymph nodes, and makes Space Marine skin like transition lenses: it darkens in response to radiation, rapidly producing reinforced melanin that protects against both UV and gamma. On the plus side, they tan really fast, but the fact that they pale right back up once they're inside armour (unless they are [[Salamanders]]) is not that great.
# The '''Oolitic Kidney''' detoxifies their blood, like their regular kidneys, but this one does it really fast. Also, it controls some of the other organs' hormones. As a result, Space Marines are unaffected by most poisons short of what the [[Dark Eldar]] or [[Tyranids]] can produce. It also means they can't get drunk, though the Space Wolves found a way around that by creating Mjöd, an extremely toxic drink made of local plants of Fenris, that temporarily neutralizes the Oolitic kidney's ability to filter toxins. Another organ which ceases to work on the tabletop, as Space Marines have absolutely identical reactions to Poison as ratlings, ogryn, and standard humans. Of course, considering that the poisons you find on the tabletop are Tyranid, Dark Eldar, and Nurgelitle shit, we can probably write this one off. Also, in some fluff, it saves the bearer from poison by causing them to enter a sort of super-metabolic coma during which they burn off any toxins while unconscious and feverish—so, much like with the sus-an membrane, it allows you to say that any of [[Your Dudes]] taken out by Poison effects are just temporarily disabled.
# The '''Neuroglottis''' implants into the upper nasal passage, drastically improving both smell and taste; lets a Space Marine identify chemicals and track adversaries by taste. Blood-hound much? Apparently, the Space Wolf version of this is so good that they designed a special Wolf Helm that lets them use their sense of smell even when fully armored, and is also why they otherwise avoid helmets as much as possible (and definitely not just so that they can [[Blood Claw|gel their hair into giant crests]] and/or [[Logan Grimnar|grow chest-length Santa beards]]).
# The '''Mucranoid''' gives Space Marines super-sweat that protects them from heat and cold, and can even be hardened into a vacuum-proof shell. Remember that awesome scene where Guilliman boxes Word Bearers in space? Yep, he did it while covered in that thing.
# The '''Betcher's Gland''' gives them acid spit, which is probably the only bonus for going to combat [[Helmet#Helmets_and_Faces|without a helmet]]. The acid within varies depending on the source, from simply reacting only to organic tissue to fully dissolving ceramite. Some Chapters, such as the [[Blood Angels]] and the [[Iron Snakes]], consider using the Betcher's Gland in combat to be [[Derp|dishonourable]]. Technically, the acid spit is just a fringe benefit of the gland’s true purpose—allowing marines to chew through everything from tough xenos carcasses to prison bars. In any event, Space Marines on the table-top do not have access to acidic spit, unlike e.g. Tyranids. (Or maybe they do; space marine ancients get a lot of attacks for someone with their hands full.)
# The '''Progenoids''' provide no benefit to the Space Marine, but are universally considered the most important organs, as they are the keys to making more of the organs above. Each Space Marine starts with two, one in the neck and one in the chest, and they are removed after their death. The neck-based progenoid is ready for harvesting five years after implantation, while the chest-based progenoid is ready after ten. Each harvested progenoid is a bunch of DNA and chemical stuff, that, when implanted in a suitable environment, grows into more organs. Chapters that took severe losses and could not reclaim the gene-seed of their brothers basically take random people with an affinity to the Astartes gene-seed (or vat-grown bodies similar to the ones they use for Servitors), implant them with all space marine organs, wait ten years, and then harvest the gene-seed, with survival of the host not guaranteed. Sometimes, the term "gene-seed" is taken to refer to these glands specifically. When not pressed, Chapters often allow the living gene-seed inside marines to "stew", as it's rumoured to also absorb genetic information and even memory, potentially allowing future generations to inherit the strengh and skill of fallen heroes.
# The '''Black Carapace''' interfaces a Space Marine with his [[Power Armour|armour]], making them effectively one being. It also serves as back-up armour, providing a level of protection similar to a flak jacket, in case a marine somehow ends up [[Adeptus Custodes|running around naked]]. [[Scout|Space Marine Scouts]] don't have this yet, because of the [[Codex Astartes]], and it's noted as the only one of the original organs that ''has'' to be implanted whole rather than potentially grown inside the neophyte as a germ-seed (a la [[Blood Angels|Insanguination]]). They don't get it (and thus an expensive suit of power armor) until they've spent a decade or more in a Scout Company. Tyranids nicked this for their tyrant guard, which makes you think how did the foot-slogging hive tyrants survive anything beforehand. As clearly established by how humans perform in Power Armor, this organ does nothing on the table-top; Sisters of Battle, for example, get just as much (or more - they can lift a lascannon by themselves, unlike humans in mere carapace armour) benefit from Power Armor as Space Marines do. The Deathwatch RPG explained it as allowing a Space Marine in Power Armor to not be an easier target due to lumbering size (Hulking)—which does seem impressive if you’ve ever seen someone in craft foam Astartes armor trying to hobble around. It does nothing to help with the steath, however, unless you're Raven Guard.
#The '''Canis Helix''' is not an organ, but considered nonetheless to be part of the gene-seed; it appears to be a genetic cocktail brewed by the Wolf Priests of the Space Wolves, and while it induces a level of mutation beyond that seen in any other chapter, Russ' gene-seed organs appear to have a 100% rejection rate in humans who do not first take the cocktail.

===Primaris Organs===

{{Main|Primaris Marines}}
After [[Roboute Guilliman]] told [[Belisarius Cawl]] to make a next generation Space Marine, he ended up creating Marines that had an enhanced version of the Astartes Gene-Seed, which contained an extra three organs (possibly due to taking elements of the [[Adeptus Custodes|Custodes]] or even the Primarch creation process). While some have expressed concern of the project, some due to worries about how some of the mutations of some of Chapters with more exotic mutations and some due to the belief that the Emperor's work shouldn't be tampered with, Cawl claims that the Primaris Gene-seed is more stable than the regular Astartes gene-seed, with an estimated deviancy of .001% per generation. How true this claim might be is up for debate, but Cawl has created Space Wolves successor chapters that haven't immediately turned into Wulfen so it may have some truth in it. It's also worth noting that Cawl did ''something'' to make the Primaris Marines physically incapable of turning traitor. Guilliman's internal monologue in Dark Imperium reveals that he considers it an impossibility for Primarines to turn, unlike "the old breed". This has interesting implications about whether or not the Primaris marines truly have free will.

As of recent fluff updates/leaks, the new organs are as follows.

# The '''Sinew Coils''' essentially modify the muscle strands and makeup of the Primaris Marines, buffing their pecs and biceps to the 10th degree. Whilst one would assume it would resemble something from [[Wat|Inspector Gadget's coil legs]], the truth is....[[Derp|it is pretty much like that in function.]] These are reinforced coil-cables made of durable supermetals that are capable of contracting with incredible strength, making Primaris stronger and tougher than others. Even outside of their power armor, swinging a sword at a Primaris might just bounce off his hot and sweaty muscles because of these coil cables, and it amplifies his strength to the point where he can crush a human skull with his bare hands or bite through metal cable like it were jerky.
# The '''Magnificat''' may sound a [[Derp|bit lame,]] but its function is actually what makes the Primaris 'bigger, better, faster and stronger' than regular Astartes. It produces a mix of hormones that greatly enhance the effects of all of the other genetically engineered organs that float around in the Primaris. So every Primaris gets more bang for his genetic buck. Intriguingly, it's stated to be only half of another super-organ dubbed the '''Immortis Gland''' originally made for the Primarchs, but Cawl was only able to find the materials and genetic blueprints needed to make the right half; the information needed to make the left half had seemingly been erased. The function of the complete Immortis Gland is unknown, but given that its other name is "The God-Maker" and the fact that only the Primarchs are known to have the organ, it stands to follow that it is likely what amplifies their abilities to the level of demigods.
# The '''Belisarian Furnace''' is an organ that is named after [[Belisarius Cawl|the Galaxy's least humble Archmagos.]] This one is a last-chance fail-safe kind of thing. The Belisarian Furnace is an organ that activates when a Primaris is on death’s door, giving them a great burst of super-adrenaline (not the actual term) and boosted regeneration, but helping to keep them alive even at great cost, so that a Primaris can take out as many of the enemy as possible even as his flesh and bone rapidly regrow themselves. This allows fan-fic writers to create Hollywood-esque 'final pushes' without making it look stupid, which should make for some amazing last stands. It also appears to be vital for the Rubicon Primaris procedure intended to convert existing Space Marines into Primaris Space Marines, as the procedure temporarily kills the subject in its current form. The organ doesn't just activate during fights however ; the fluff has shown a Primaris actively trying to "calm down" and stop their Furnace activating whilst they were critically injured whilst they were being rescued as the resulting physical shock would finish them off.

===Implantation===
Not everyone is compatible with implantation (unless it's from the Blood Angels line); potential candidates are screened for tissue compatibility, and kept young, as being post-pubescent has a marked increase in the tissue rejection rate (and being actually ''elderly'' makes it even worse); even so, not all candidates survive the implantation process. The Great Crusade era had inductees from a variety of ages, possibly because there were more resources, candidates, and understanding of the tech to compensate for failure rates. Back then a one-in-two success after screening was considered pretty good. These days the screening is insanely brutal amongst Loyalist chapters, with most aspirants dying before being even considered for implantation, but the success rate is accordingly much higher. Youths are also still preferred post-Heresy as they are easier to mould and condition into loyal Marines than teens or young adults.

One of the most obvious and well-known features of the implants design is that the Emperor never bothered with making them compatible with female hosts (although some argue that this was deliberate as a way of ensuring that Space Marines could not breed true, nobody can be entirely sure). Furthermore, not all organs can be implanted at once, as some prepare the body for others, and the body needs time to adapt to and accept the implants. The maximum speed process has been described in the fluff as taking around 6 years and assuming the soon-to-be Marine will be a Primaris is:

# If you are the Space Wolves, the Canis Helix.
# Secondary Heart, Ossmodula (bone growth), and Biscopea (muscle growth).
# Sinew Coils (tendon/ligament reinforcement), Magnificat (enhances all other geneseed organs), and Belisarean Furnace (combat stimms, attaches to hearts).
# Haemastamen (improved red blood cells) and Larraman's Organ (improved platelets).
# Catalepsean Node (brain implant: sleep like a dolphin).
#*If this is an actual Space Marine, begin hypnotherapy/brainwashing only ''after'' this implant.
# Preomnor (gullet), Omophagea (flatworm stomach), and Multi-lung (third lung).
# Occulobe (improved visual cortex).
# Lyman's Ear (replacement outer, middle, and inner ear).
# Sus-an Membrane (brain implant: self-induce coma).
# Melanochrome (lymph implant for radiation resistance).
# Oolitic Kidney (enhanced liver/kidney) and Neuroglottis (improved inner nose).
# Mucranoid (secretable space suit).
# Betcher's Gland (extremely acidic saliva).
# Both Progenoids (for reproduction).
# Black Carapace (for improved power armour compatibility).

The largest time gap between implants is between the Betcher Glands and the two last ones on the list, and by that time the Marine already serves as a Scout. Once he is deemed physically and mentally ready, he will recieve the Progenoids and the Black Carapace that turns him into a full-fledged (Primaris) Marine.

The Rubicon Primaris most likely entails the implantation of the three Primaris gene-seed organs past the normal time that gene-seed would normally be implanted, though the specific order of implanting in this scenario is currently unknown, however it is known that the Furnace resuscitation is needed to finish the process so it might come in first. The logical follow up is the enhancing Magnificat and finished with the Sinew Coils, the pain of which would cause clinical death through shock, brute forcing the Furnace into activating and charging the Marine up.

===Tabletop Effect===
Most of the organs have no visible effect in the game, at least if the in-game rules are an indication; here are how the organs seemingly manifest (or not). For some reason, Space Marines aren't any faster at running than an unaugmented human and are slower than fast humans, such as Sisters of Silence. Most likely, this lack of impact is either for balance purposes or because it can't be properly represented using in-game means.

*Has an effect, at least in aggregate:
**Secondary Heart, Ossmodula, Biscopea, Haemastamen, Larraman's Organ, Multi-Lung, Oolitic Kidney, Mucranoid: +1 Strength and Toughness, relative to a normal human.
**Sinew Coils, Magnificat, Belisarean Furnace: +1 Attack, can only be wounded on a 4+ (1CP strat activation).
***Was also +1 Wound in 8th edition. As of 9th edition the Firstborn also get +1 Wound.
**Catalepsean Node + Hypnotherapy: And They Shall Know No Fear, +1 Ld.
**Progenoids: These are given as the reason an Apothecary loses his turn if he fails a resurrection roll, as he is busy collecting them.
*Effects limited to fluff:
**Occulobe: Mostly ignored; with or without his helmet on, most Space Marine's vision is never considered any better than an unaugmented humans, even when distance or lack of light are explicitly causing vision problems. It may however be a reason why some Space Wolves get the 'acute senses' rule.
**Lyman's Ear: Demonstrably ignored under the 8th edition rules; Space Marines behave exactly like unaugmented humans when exposed to sonic weaponry, when needing to notice things they can't see, or when in need of balance. In previous editions, this would presumably have contributed to a higher Initiative stat.
**Neuroglottis: As noted above with the Lyman's Ear, as this would predominantly serve to supplement that, given some tabletop rule for Space Marines actually having improved senses which only the Space Wolves have.
**Melanochrome: Demonstrably ignored; Space Marines respond to photonic radiation (usually provided by the Adeptus Mechanicus) exactly like unaugmented humans do.
**Black Carapace: Demonstrably ignored; many human factions have access to Power Armour, particularly Sisters of Battle, and none have ever been shown to be even slightly more encumbered by Power Armour than Space Marines are.
**Preomnor, Omophagea, Sus-an Membrane, Mucranoid, Betcher's Gland: These have no in-game effect, but would typically not be expected to, as a Space Marine with his suit on and participating in a battle would not have call to use them, although the Betcher's Gland could be implemented as a very, very short range weapon, in principle.
*Alternate Take: The Occulobe, Lyman's Ear, and Neuroglottis could grant the +1 Initiative marines enjoy(ed prior to 8th). The Melanchrome also likely adds to toughness.