What is life?

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Friday Race

 


Today the weather was ideal for running, I got up early and took advantage of it with a long run.

Last week, while I was wandering about the moon, the question of what life is, came up, as I often do, I dodged it.

But it didn't dodge me and stayed in my mind.

So today that was the topic of my wanderings.

I have always liked biology. Since I was little, I have been interested in living beings, “bichos,” as I call them. I read biology books when my friends read stories, literary or science fiction novels. Despite that, I have never found a definition of life that convinces me.

I am sure that almost anyone who asks, "What is life?" will answer that a living being is born, grows, reproduces, and dies.

I don't think that's a bad definition, IT'S TERRIBLE. Furthermore, I didn't even like it when I was in elementary school.

I mean, when an amoeba reproduces by mitosis, was anyone born?

If the two new amoebas continue to reproduce by mitosis each on their own, can we say that at some point they die?

If we break a salt crystal into pieces, does it reproduce?

If we put these crystals in suitable conditions and they begin to grab new atoms in their crystalline structure, is it growing?

If I dissolve them in water, did they die?

So I find that I love life, but I have no idea how to define it. That is why I end up describing what a living being is, which is not the same.

For me, a living being has five, or probably six, characteristics.

1. It is self-contained. It has a structure that separates it from its surroundings, its environment.

2. It has an exchange of materials and energy between its internal structure and what is outside (metabolism) in such a way that its internal structure remains as variable as possible (homeostasis).

3. It is capable of obtaining or generating the energy necessary to maintain homeostasis.

4. It can self-replicate almost perfectly, almost.

5. That small imperfection in making copies of itself allows variants to exist sufficiently for there to be natural selection.

I think that most biologists will agree with these characteristics, but I think it is not enough, I think something else is missing...

That will be left for another time.

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