We say the cell is the smallest living thing, but red blood cells are cells without DNA or any organelle.
Are they considered alive ? What do you think ?
>>8159442
Why does it matter? Define life however you want and you have your answer. Doesn't change anything about red blood cells or anything else though.
do RBCs respire?
>>8159450
No. It's all anaerobic.
>>8159454
>No. It's all anaerobic.
well, that's not really the point, but for me, if they are using energy in whatever form, then yes, they are alive. the fact that they lack a nucleus just means they can't repair any damage, and so, have a significantly shortened lifespan.
>>8159442
do they have their own metabolism/protein synthesis?
if yes they are alive, if not no
>>8159442
How do you define life?
While we're on this topic, are viruses alive?
>>8162746
they're in a weird gray area between self-replicating proteins and prokaryotes
![spherocytosis_f_600x250[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/R7FQLaA.jpg "spherocytosis_f_600x250[1].jpg")
>>8159442
their immature precursors are.
but a functional mature rbc is just a bag of hemoglobin, carbonic anhydrase and potassium. so, no.
pic unrelated, however cool. cytoskeleton defects can make the rbc lose their shape every knows. they become spheres and in doing so lose surface area and become less efficient at their job.
>>8162746
Viruses are to alive/not what light is to waves/particle
>>8159466
> if they are using energy in whatever form
A stone rolling down also uses energy in some form. I dont think thats a good definition for life.
>>8161241
So right there you claim that having own metabolism/protein synthesis is a indispensable law when you define life.
Are you sure?
>>8162870
Lay off the pipe mr. shaman.
> life is a real thing, not an arbitrary definition used for matter categorisation at human scale
human is alive -> dog is alive -> ant is alive -> flees are alive -> cells are alive -> molecules are alive -> atoms are alive -> ....
rocks are alive... this is same dumbass argument as consciousness. its just an arbitrary human definition used to approximate what we can (sensorilly?) distinguish in the world, doesn't actually mean they are inherent categorical truths.
>>8159449
>Define life however you want
that's not how science is done, Hozer
