Does anybody feel like explaining the whole Jaffa/symbiote thing to me?

I can try, and then Katie can correct me.

Jaffa have pouches. Pouches hold symbiotes, which are baby Goa'uld. Once the symbiotes mature, they're ready to be implanted in a human host. The symbiotes give the Jaffa long life, strength, and other stuff. The need for symbiotes is part of what tied the Jaffa to the Goa'uld.

There is a replacement drug for symbiotes called tretonin. Teal'c has been on it since season 6, when he lost his symbiote. Apparently (did not watch season 8) many other Jaffa are on it, since Goa'uld were defeated and are no longer symbiote suppliers.

Immature Goa'uld symbiotes take the place of Jaffa immune systems sometime around puberty. In the first episode where we met Teal'c's son Rya'c, Teal'c went back to his homeworld to try to prevent his son's implantation; apparently he assumed that if Rya'c never got a symbiote, he wouldn't need one. This was shown to be incorrect in the seventh season, where we got to meet the Amazon Jaffa, who had to steal symbiotes for the new teenagers because otherwise they dropped dead.

Implanted Jaffa have to practice a form of meditation called kel-no-reem regularly in order to keep their systems in order; if they don't, they get sick. I don't think they've ever said for sure how long one symbiote can last inside a Jaffa, but it's not forever; they mature and have to be replaced. There was an episode once where Teal'c's old girlfriend taught him how to commune with his symbiote; it didn't end well, and is Not Recommended.

Humans are called Tau'ri because that's what they're known as in Goa'uld, apparently.

Also, new fodder for Katie... one can only hope and wish.

Hey, I don't need new fodder. I wrote it already. Ha!

Jaffa have an immature symbiote in their belly-pouch-things. This symbiote doesn't take them over (if they keep it once it is mature, it will), but it serves as their immune system (thus, if they don't have it, they die). When one matures, they get a new one.

Tau'ri is Earth. The people from Earth are called Tauri. People elsewhere aren't.

eta: I should have known it would be an x-post.

Does anybody feel like explaining the whole Jaffa/symbiote thing to me?

I would, but I fear my head would explode. (Which is my way of joining in with your Huh?)

And why are humans Taurii?

Just 'cuz. It is right there in the script.

Jaffa used to be humans. The Goa'uld took a small population of humans from Earth some thousands of years ago (actually, many thousands, I guess, given what we've seen lately), and genetically modified them to have a symbiote pouch in their abdomen. The symbiote, an infant goa'uld, is placed in the pouch and stays there for about 4-5 years. During this time the symbiote provides excellent healing and defense against a variety of illnesses. Jaffa are, as a result, much longer lived than humans, and much stronger.

The Jaffa first gets a symbiote around puberty; up until that point they have their own immune system. Canon is inconsistent on what happens if a Jaffa doesn't get a symbiote, whether their immune system continues on or fails entirely. What we do know is once a Jaffa has a symbiote they can't be removed without the Jaffa dying fairly soon thereafter: hours or days, again it's inconclusive.

The whole system is set up to keep the Jaffa dependent on the Goa'uld for a constant supply of symbiotes.

Tretonin was developed by a human planet as an immune system booster; it's basically made of ground-up goa'uld larva. Teal'c and a number of other Jaffa are on Tretonin, which to my mind merely replaces one dependency for another...

I wrote it already. Ha!

OK, that's true.

You all rock. Tnx.

One day I shall try to pick up backstory on something really vile, and the Buffistas will *still* help me out.

Speaking of which, God bless free enterprise.

Well, that was an embarrassingly huge cross-post. Heh.

What IS that, Betsy?

Katie, Debet, and Dana: I still do not get it. Maybe I am not smart enough for the sciffy channel.

How 'bout this: The Jaffa have worms in their guts that make them really strong and really healthy, and if the worms get taken out, the Jaffa die. Unless they take a special drug.