Finally, I would like to add that I am aware that there are many scientists who believe that viruses are not living things because they do not have a cellular structure with all that means. Therefore, this biological dilemma is likely to be with us for a long time to come. I think it will only be resolved if we reach a consensus on what life is, because only then can we say categorically whether something is alive or not. That is what I have modestly tried to do in this document. Traits are measurable attributes or characteristics of organisms and trait-based approaches have been widely used in systematic and evolutionary studies [22]. Since any definition of life must be related to what we observe in nature, my strategy for finding a definition of life has been to determine what are the key attributes or characteristics common to all living things. What do bacteria, yeasts, lichens, trees, beetles, birds, whales, etc. have in common to significantly differentiate from non-living systems? In my opinion, living organisms share seven characteristics: organic nature, high degree of organization, preprogramming, interaction (or collaboration), adaptation, reproduction and evolution, the last two being optional because they are not present in all living things. When the father arrived at the hospital, he was told that Andrew Dossi was undergoing surgery, but that the injuries were not life-threatening. I would like to highlight an interesting reflection on the defining characteristics of life and on how viruses fit into this conceptual framework [59]. Therefore, Dupré and O`Malley regard cooperation as a common criterion of life, and I can only agree with this assessment; In this sense, in an earlier work on the principles that govern life [6], I use the term “cooperative push” to emphasize the importance of cooperation in the origin and evolution of living beings.
Without considering collaboration or cooperation as a key interaction, we could not explain endosymbiosis, eukaryogenesis, metabolism, multicellularity, etc. In this work, collaboration is implicit in what I call interaction, a common and fundamental characteristic of all living things. Interestingly, these authors point out that “the omission of viruses in evolutionary, ecological, physiological or conceptual studies of living things would only allow an incomplete understanding of life at some level” [59]. If you consider this emphasis on collaboration as a prerequisite for life, how does the world of viruses fit in? Dupré and O`Malley suggest, and I agree, that viruses can be understood as living if they actively work together (I mean, if they infect the target cell) and if they don`t work together (I`d say they`re inactive), they have at most a potential for life. Instead of defining the word, textbooks describe life with a list of half a dozen characteristics based on what it has or does. For what life has, a characteristic is the cell, a compartment that contains biochemical processes. Cells are often listed because of the influential cell theory developed in 1837-1838, which states that all living things consist of cells and that the cell is the basic unit of life. From single-celled bacteria to the trillions of cells that make up a human body, it seems that all life has compartments. Life is a quality that distinguishes matter with biological processes such as signaling and self-preservation processes from what does not, and is defined by the ability to grow, respond to stimuli, metabolism, convert energy, and reproduce. [2] [3] There are different forms of life such as plants, animals, fungi, protists, archaea and bacteria. Biology is the science that studies life. Many traditional biological concepts continue to be discussed by biologists, scientists and philosophers of science.
The specific objective of this brief reflection is to offer an alternative vision to the definition of life, taking as a starting point the characteristics common to all living beings. Multiply this by an expected lifespan of at least ten years. Evolution is crucial for survival on the ever-changing Earth. Organisms must be able to adapt genetically and phenotypically. Symbiotic relationships with other organisms could also help increase the propensity to survive and thrive. Parallel to evolution, speciation took place. Species diverge during evolution into two or more descendants. Unfortunately, most of the species that used to live on Earth have already gone extinct. 99% of Earth`s species are now extinct. These organisms are dead and their species have completely disappeared. Therefore, it seems that species extinction is inevitable. Some of the earliest theories of life were materialistic, asserting that everything that exists is matter and that life is only a complex form or arrangement of matter.