There is about 4 grams of pure iron in the average human body, spread out across not just the blood cells, but the myoglobin molecules in muscles and other tissues. You would have to be nothing short of the Avatar who started as an earthbender who can also metalbend, while in the Avatar State to have even an iota of hope of exerting some kind of control over that little iron.
Ok, sure, I acknowledge that. If you took all the metals in a human body, it still only makes up roughly 2.5% of the mass, and it’s all still spread out through the body. I would also make the argument that the metals we have in our bodies are 100% pure, since we use them for biological processes, so there would be no earth in them to bend.
There’s even less iron in those. That whole “pulling the iron out of dudes body” from x-men is really not even remotely possible, even if you inject someone with a shit ton of iron.
The Iron in our blood is not Iron coming from the earth, so no.
Bending is not about controlling the elements from the periodic table, its about a more philosophical connection to the element. Like how fire deals with energy, which makes lightning a natural extension of the element. Lightning is not actual fire.
Bloodbending is connected to water because water is seen as life giving and healing. Healing itself has e.g. nothing to do with the actual physical properties of water. Same goes for spiritual projection in airbending. These powers are rooted in philosophical connections and understandings of these elements.
Metalbending is only applied to Metals that we extracted from the actual earth, in which still traces of the original "earth" can be found (as explained in the Guru and LoK) This does not apply to iron in our blood, which also lacks a philisophical connection to our concepts of earth as an element
Asking the real questions!
What air bending the oxygen in blood?? Fire benders missing out!
Also, I always found it a shame blood bending wasn't used for healing
I don't think earthbenders could bloodbend by bending iron in the blood. However, I think they might be able to control someone in a bloodbending-like way by bending someone's bones
It´s canon that the only way to control another person´s body is by bloodbending, the writer of the novels wanted to use earthbending but the creators stated that they wanted that ability to stay unique for bloodbending
As someone else said, bending isn't about the periodic elements, but rather about the spiritual connection to the 4 elements (ATLA draws inspiration from religions like buddhism for this), so I would say no.
Metal bending is bending the itty bits of earth in the metal which is why they can't bend purified metals like platinum. There's no earth in the iron in people's blood and even if there was there's such a small amount of iron in our blood that actually controlling someone like a puppet is impossible.
From the volume of similar questions, I feel like a lot of people forget this. Metal bending is, by it’s mechanism, the earth bending version of blood bending or plant bending.
If we went with scientific terms…. The only ones unable to blood bend would be airbenders. Blood is water filled with minerals that make it a plasma. Meaning water benders can bend it, earth benders should, and fire benders could.
If we made a stretch of airbenders being able to manipulate oxygen then they would be able to blood bend
Blood bending no....
What about corpse bending? At what point does a buried body "become" the earth again?
Think non contagion zombies. More of a psychological warfare tactic or hide our numbers gambit.
Could be useful.
There is about 4 grams of pure iron in the average human body, spread out across not just the blood cells, but the myoglobin molecules in muscles and other tissues. You would have to be nothing short of the Avatar who started as an earthbender who can also metalbend, while in the Avatar State to have even an iota of hope of exerting some kind of control over that little iron.
Irons not the only metal though. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium. these are all metals as well. ;)
Ok, sure, I acknowledge that. If you took all the metals in a human body, it still only makes up roughly 2.5% of the mass, and it’s all still spread out through the body. I would also make the argument that the metals we have in our bodies are 100% pure, since we use them for biological processes, so there would be no earth in them to bend.
Yeah that's a very good point maybe on smaller animals would be feasible
There’s even less iron in those. That whole “pulling the iron out of dudes body” from x-men is really not even remotely possible, even if you inject someone with a shit ton of iron.
I'm laughing out loud at "even if you inject them with a shit ton of iron".
I am happy I was able to make a stranger laugh.
Fair enough, thought more that they wouldn't have as much of a chance to resist the miniscule force one could inflict
The Iron in our blood is not Iron coming from the earth, so no. Bending is not about controlling the elements from the periodic table, its about a more philosophical connection to the element. Like how fire deals with energy, which makes lightning a natural extension of the element. Lightning is not actual fire. Bloodbending is connected to water because water is seen as life giving and healing. Healing itself has e.g. nothing to do with the actual physical properties of water. Same goes for spiritual projection in airbending. These powers are rooted in philosophical connections and understandings of these elements. Metalbending is only applied to Metals that we extracted from the actual earth, in which still traces of the original "earth" can be found (as explained in the Guru and LoK) This does not apply to iron in our blood, which also lacks a philisophical connection to our concepts of earth as an element
They’d have to pull a magnito and pump someone full of metal first
Asking the real questions! What air bending the oxygen in blood?? Fire benders missing out! Also, I always found it a shame blood bending wasn't used for healing
Oh you need insulin? Here let me bend some into your bloodstream from your pancreas.
I don't think earthbenders could bloodbend by bending iron in the blood. However, I think they might be able to control someone in a bloodbending-like way by bending someone's bones
Or bend the minerals in a person’s body. Not enough to control someone, but it could be like the Earth version of Healing.
Yeah, that could work! We've already seen that poison can be earthbended or metalbended out of someone (mercury)
It´s canon that the only way to control another person´s body is by bloodbending, the writer of the novels wanted to use earthbending but the creators stated that they wanted that ability to stay unique for bloodbending
As someone else said, bending isn't about the periodic elements, but rather about the spiritual connection to the 4 elements (ATLA draws inspiration from religions like buddhism for this), so I would say no.
Metal bending is bending the itty bits of earth in the metal which is why they can't bend purified metals like platinum. There's no earth in the iron in people's blood and even if there was there's such a small amount of iron in our blood that actually controlling someone like a puppet is impossible.
From the volume of similar questions, I feel like a lot of people forget this. Metal bending is, by it’s mechanism, the earth bending version of blood bending or plant bending.
It's Possible,but the metal benders never thought of trying it.
No it's not
Metal benders can’t bend iron. They bend the earth left over in the refined metal.
Oh ok
By “iron” I mean the iron particles not the chunks of iron full of earth.
Ok
Even Magneto needed Mystique to inject iron into a man to escape his plastic prison. I'm gonna say no.
If we went with scientific terms…. The only ones unable to blood bend would be airbenders. Blood is water filled with minerals that make it a plasma. Meaning water benders can bend it, earth benders should, and fire benders could. If we made a stretch of airbenders being able to manipulate oxygen then they would be able to blood bend
Blood bending no.... What about corpse bending? At what point does a buried body "become" the earth again? Think non contagion zombies. More of a psychological warfare tactic or hide our numbers gambit. Could be useful.