Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 64 (9164 total)
1 online now:
Newest Member: ChatGPT
Post Volume: Total: 916,877 Year: 4,134/9,624 Month: 1,005/974 Week: 332/286 Day: 53/40 Hour: 4/3


EvC Forum ⇒ Science Forums ⇒ Origin of Life ⇒

What is Life?

Thread ▼ Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   What is Life?
Straggler
Member (Idle past 93 days)
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006

Normal Thread Display
Message 37 of 268 (587214)
10-17-2010 5:59 PM 		Reply to: Message 36 by Parasomnium
10-17-2010 5:16 PM

Re: Clumsy label
Are viruses a form of life according to biologists or not?
​
I have never been very clear on this.
​
And I understand that the discovery of "large" viuses has confused the issue by suggesting a genetic history that may mean what we call viruses were not always so parasitic and may warrant their own branch on the evolutionary tree.
​
Or something like that.......
​
Sorry for my vagueness. I am looking for info from those that know rather than a debate about a topic I am wholly ignorant in.
This message is a reply to:
 Message 36 by Parasomnium, posted 10-17-2010 5:16 PM Parasomnium has not replied
Replies to this message:
 Message 39 by Blue Jay, posted 10-17-2010 10:25 PM Straggler has not replied
  
Straggler
Member (Idle past 93 days)
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006

Normal Thread Display
Message 73 of 268 (592984)
11-23-2010 12:20 PM 		Reply to: Message 71 by Dr Adequate
11-23-2010 12:12 PM

Re: Life?
Is a virus a form of life by this definition?
This message is a reply to:
 Message 71 by Dr Adequate, posted 11-23-2010 12:12 PM Dr Adequate has replied
Replies to this message:
 Message 76 by Dr Adequate, posted 11-23-2010 12:39 PM Straggler has replied
  
Straggler
Member (Idle past 93 days)
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006

Normal Thread Display
Message 77 of 268 (592988)
11-23-2010 12:43 PM 		Reply to: Message 76 by Dr Adequate
11-23-2010 12:39 PM

Re: Life?
Is a strand of RNA a form of life by this definition?
This message is a reply to:
 Message 76 by Dr Adequate, posted 11-23-2010 12:39 PM Dr Adequate has replied
Replies to this message:
 Message 79 by Dr Adequate, posted 11-23-2010 1:02 PM Straggler has replied
  
Straggler
Member (Idle past 93 days)
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006

Normal Thread Display
Message 80 of 268 (592998)
11-23-2010 1:07 PM 		Reply to: Message 79 by Dr Adequate
11-23-2010 1:02 PM

Re: Life?
To be honest I was primarily asking because I don't know the answer to my own questions.
​
I wanted to know where the boundary imposed by your definition lay in terms I could understand.
​
But if it made you think more about the definition in question then I guess that is a good thing.
This message is a reply to:
 Message 79 by Dr Adequate, posted 11-23-2010 1:02 PM Dr Adequate has replied
Replies to this message:
 Message 82 by Dr Adequate, posted 11-23-2010 1:29 PM Straggler has not replied
  
Date format: mm-dd-yyyy
Timezone: ET (US)
  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024