Matthew Stanfield wrote:
>> Hi I'm writing a university essay on artificial life. What I would like to
> know is if DNA could under any circumstances be considered alive? What about
> proteins? Bacteria, presumably, are considered alive as are viruses. At what
> point do 'simple things' cease to be alive and become, say, just a chemical
> reaction?
>> Thanks in advance. (Answers by email would be preferred.)
>> Thanks,
> Matthew
>> \\\//
> J Matthew Stanfield (O O)
> ------------------------oOO----(_)----OOo-----------------------------
> School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex, UK
> Email: mattst at cogs.susx.ac.uk Phone: UK (+44) 0831 542806
> Or: matthew.stanfield at bigfoot.com Fax : UK (+44) 01865 514494
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference between living organisms and vials with chemical reactions
and gradients, is that living organisms maintain their state of high
order. They could do because they eat and get energy. A chemical reaction
will cease when it has reached its equilibrium, but a living orgism will
never reach the equilibrium of its metabolic reactions until it dies.
DNA is not alive. It has to have a cell which is compatible with DNA.
When the whole cell can be considered alive. Viruses are not alive until
they enter their host cells and interfere.
And, HEY, bacteria is not - I repeat - not just simple things at the
border of livings. They are elegantly simple.
Best Regards
David
