I'm sorry. I didn't realize the consequences would be so grave.

*sound of siren*

YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY, I'D JOIN 'EM AND HELP TAKE OVER THE WORLD, THAT'S BE FLIPIN' AWESOME!!!

well steel you wouldn't have to worry about them eating your brain (ba da boom tsh)

Hey, for all the eating they do, you know, brains and all, do zombies ever have to go to the little zombie's room to take a dump? Or over time do they just explode from eating too much? Just something to make you go...Hmmmmmmm?

Tasteless? yes, but isnt this whole topic?

Scottie

Cord -

Hmmmm.....not so sure. The level of metabolism needed to animate an otherwise dead body must be very high. I suspect that the foodstuffs ingested by a zombie must be broken down almost instaneously. I further hypothesize that the zombie's tongue must act as the "stomach" ie; where digestion takes place. Digestion is probably not the best word either. The "food" must be converted to it's most basic components (sugars, I'm assuming) for conversion to energy.

Therefore, little of the food makes it to the zombie's actual stomach - or beyond. This would also explain their incessant craving for brains/blood, etc.

*slaps Cord, takes his PhD*

ah, but working on the hypothesis that it is the electrical charge within brain tissue that maintains the central nervous system of the undead, then providing the zombie does not become dessicated, or severely dehydrated, and stays 'squishy' (technical zombological term), then the moisture inherent in the corpse will act as a conductor for the electrical signals contained within the brain matter as it is masticated (no sniggering in the back! ). In this sense, your theory regarding the sustenance taken from the food matter occurring in the mouth is correct, however, the dead material (minus its now absorbed electrical signals) would still descend with no absorption of matter into the now ruptured stomach, where gravity and motion will act to remove it from the open cavity.

*Cord takes back his PHD in Zombology from the Lesser Priests College of Haiti, and puts it back on the shelf in his dark and sinister office*

I do agree with your theory about neural replacement/electrical absorption. That only covers the limited cognitive functions a zombie would possess. The actual animation/locomotion/door-breaking-down functions would require an energy source for the body (er....what's left of it ). This would be where the broken down, dead (squishy) material would have to be converted for energy. The high metabolism as noted before, would most likely make this a near instantaneous process, leaving nothing or little to be *ahem* processed.

Perhaps we need a subject for controlled experimentation. Somebody get Dereck over here. I'm sure he won't mind, it's for the knowledge of mankind after all!