In the DS9 episode Vortex (season 1, episode 11), Odo is knocked unconscious in the cavern by falling rocks. Being a changeling, how is this possible? Despite his outward appearance, he is not actually a humanoid and has none of the internal organs and bone structure that we have that could be injured or through injury be knocked unconscious.
And even if he can be rendered unconscious, why does he not revert to his natural gelatinous state in such an instance?
Answer
Out of universe, it was most likely bad or inconsistent writing. Either they just screwed up then, or decided to ignore this incident later when they were expanding on the rules of Changeling physiology.
In universe, I have read some speculation: Odo was young and inexperienced at shape shifting and the shock of the impact stunned him rather than actually knocking him unconscious, locking his form and disabling him. The toh-maire gas hindered his shape-shifting abilities. My personal guess is that Odo was overwrought by the promise of learning of his origins and thinking like a humanoid - a humanoid would be (at least) knocked out by such an impact, and he reacted according to the constraints of his form, giving in to his psychological stress at the same time.
Mostly, though, bad or inconsistent writing.
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