ryan
Moon
Posts: 110
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life
Jun 25, 2011 20:47:06 GMT -5
Post by ryan on Jun 25, 2011 20:47:06 GMT -5
so im sure some of you have seen the vlog bro vid a whileago...so i was thinking about it and well...i think life is something that does something to continue its existance.
but if you think about it a ydrogen atom is alive. it uses strong nuclear force(or maybe it was electromag) force to keep itself from fling apart i a flurry of partcles and continue is existance....any ideas?
dang ive been gone 4 such a long while
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life
Jun 25, 2011 22:28:38 GMT -5
Post by SwimFellow on Jun 25, 2011 22:28:38 GMT -5
Atoms aren't organisms.
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life
Jun 25, 2011 22:52:04 GMT -5
Post by Lyserg Zeroz on Jun 25, 2011 22:52:04 GMT -5
The problem with that definition is that it is terribly loose and general. Under that, everything that doesn't exist with the sole purpose of self-destroying itself is alive.
And besides, you'd have to ask yourself: Is an atom really doing something to keep its existance. Or it just is the way it is and is inherently the way it is. "Doing something" is also kind of a loose term to use here. I could argue the atom isn't actually doing anything and that being an atom is just a propierty of it. The atom has no say on its existance, it has no ability to do or not do, it just is.
You could also say that it is actually the particles that are "doing" something, in that sense the atom would be akin to a lichen, just instead of fungus + algae/bacteria, you have protons+neutrons+electrons. Or you could say that the atom is in fact "alive", and so are the sub-atomic particles that give structure to it (and quarks too?), in the same sense that we are alive and have cells that are alive too.
You are free to think what you want about the state of everything, but, for what is me, I wouldn't define an atom as being alive and I would try to use a more specific definition for what alive means. Also I think that whether an atom or a rock or what-have-you can fall under the definition of being alive or not (unless it also means that they are sentient consciouss beings) has no implications whatsoever.
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life
Jun 26, 2011 21:12:01 GMT -5
Post by Ryan on Jun 26, 2011 21:12:01 GMT -5
Life is a well defined construct - atoms are not alive.
Life - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.
Atoms are inorganic in that they do not grow through active process, they do not reproduce, and they do not adapt.
Also, Hydrogen atoms are 2 particles a proton and an electron. The motion of the atom is governed by electromagnetic forces surrounding the atom. The motion of the electron is governed by electromagnetic forces (and kinetics) within the atom (in the simple case of hydrogen by the fact that the electron is really really small and far away and hugely charged and in motion in reference to the really big hugely charged proton it orbits around). The hydrogen atom can do nothing about its surroundings, it can't prevent other atoms which are more charged from taking its electron. It can't stop itself from bonding with other atoms into a molecule. It can't stop its motion. And if it's unlucky enough it might be forced to fuse in which case it will no longer be a hydrogen atom, ceasing to exist in and of itself.
None of that is life like - in fact, it's very much lifeless and mechanical - as most of the universe is.
EDIT: oh and Swim - organisms aren't the only things with life - bacteria and protazoa aren't organisms either, but are very much lifelike.
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Engesa Green once more
Meteor
Once upon a time there was a suggestion that we should all write our names on our profile. I'm Ebbe.
Posts: 89
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life
Jun 28, 2011 17:12:49 GMT -5
Post by Engesa Green once more on Jun 28, 2011 17:12:49 GMT -5
I was taught in school that bacterias are singlecelled organisms...
Also, is vira alive? They reproduce (sorta) but they do not have growth through metabolism? They do however adapt to their environment, and at quite a fast pace aswell.
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life
Jun 28, 2011 23:08:17 GMT -5
Post by Ryan on Jun 28, 2011 23:08:17 GMT -5
Viruses actually neither grow nor adapt. A single virus can't adapt, only its future generations - viruses evolve instead of adapting.
And by definition an organism is an animal with organ systems interacting. Definition of organ is a group of tissues performing a specific task. Definition of tissue is an aggregate of similar cells and cell products forming a definite structure with a specific purpose. Thus - organisms are all multicellular.
That's semantics though. I tend to be picky about them.
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