Nameks: Namekians are greenish humanoids that look vaguely reptilian. They also seems to have a great deal in common with amphibians and slugs. Nameks have a wide variety of strange powers, which results in their having a reputation for Ki's. In general, Nameks are not to be trifled with, and can make powerful allies, or ruthless foes.

I know a lot about Nameks and it runs like this:

The Nameks are a single-sexed race (neuter race) that reproduce via spitting up and eggs. They are green-skinned, bald and have two small antenna on their foreheads. The Nameks don't eat (at least Piccolo doesn't) but drink water. They don't sleep (well, at least Piccolo doesn't). They come in all shapes and sizes, from fat to thin and tall to short. They seem to be much like insects, the Nameks are born into an occupation. I know of two: "healers" and "warriors" (there may be more - teachers, farmers and builders seem likely). Piccolo, Kami (he is from the Dragon family too.) and Nail are fighters. Dende is a healer. Naturally, healers and warriors each have specific powers.

Healers: Now, it is possible that only warriors have claws and thick skin. But healers don't. Certainly wouldn't need such things. Healers have one main power, which is massive Healing Aid.

Warriors: Warriors, on the other hand, are strong, fast and powerful. They are capable of firing Ki energy blasts, flight and feats of great physical strength. For Example: Three Namek warriors tear through Freeza's henchmen in a matter of seconds. Nail, possibly the most powerful Namek on the planet (aside from Piccolo) actually survives fighting Freezer for a short time he had a powerlevel of 42,000, Freeza's was over 530,000... Piccolo himself had become a 'Super-Namekian' in Cell Saga, transcending the normal power levels of Namek warriors.

Absorbtion: There is at least one power of the Nameks that really can't be defined in terms. Some people confuse it with 'fusing' but it is not fusing. In fact it has nothing to do with the word fuse. Although FUNimation made is sound like fusion. But it is a kind of absorbtion that all inhabitants in Namek share. Any one Namek and absorb another Namek, but both must be willing to share one body. This is the ability for one Namek to absorb another. Piccolo absorbs what is left of Nail into himself, becoming faster and more powerful. Laterin Cell Saga, he absorbs Kami the same way. Granted, this last absorption can be defined as the rejoining of a pair of duplicates.

Dragon Family: There is yet a nother kind of occupational race within the Namek society. There are some Nameks that have this power to create The Dragonballs. These Nameks are from the Dragon family. Piccolo-Dama (not the Piccolo we know), Guru and Kami are from the Dragon family. Strange but I don't know why Piccolo never inherited that power. Since Kami and Piccolo-Damam had the power to create Dragonballs it should be logical for Piccolo to create Dragonballs but i guess he never got those traits.

About Dende? As you know Dende can heal people, But did you know he is from the Dragon family and has the power to creat Dragonballs. At the end of the Dragonballz Dende creates a new set of Dragonballs. This is when he is the Kami (kinda like God) of the Earth.