Abiogenesis (Origins)

by David Turell @, Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 18:10 (4852 days ago) @ broken_cynic

Even today we see discussions about whether viruses are 'alive' in the same way we are. Yet viruses may well be (must be by my guess) more complex than whatever could be said to have been the first unique step on the road to 'life.'-Viruses are living parasites that enter a living cell and use the genetic material in that cell to reproduce itself. If one claims that the full definition of life requires the organism to be totally self-sustaining and self-reproducing, then viruses are not truly 'fully' live.-> 
> So how do you draw a line between living and not? What is your definition for life?-There are conflicting definitions; mine is simple. Grow to a certain size, maintain that structure, reproduce itself, using a chemical digestive system for protein production and energy consumption.


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