The
final chapter of this book, The Living Universe, is a chapter that questions
the definition of life and discusses the cause of life on Earth. In addition,
the existence of life on other planets in our solar system and other systems is
discussed.
Many
ancient civilizations in the past viewed the Universe as a living organism.
They believed that the Universe had a predetermined goal that every action in existence
contributed to. In our age, a similar concept still exists. Some people believe
in Gaia, the belief that the Earth is a living organism. These beliefs allow us
to ponder about the definition of life.
Although
it is easy for us to define plants and animals as living creatures, it is
difficult when we describe things such as viruses. Many criteria must be met
for something to be defined as living. Viruses fulfill many of these criteria,
but are not capable of reproducing by itself. A virus is capable of invading
living cells and taking control of the organelles. This allows the virus to
reproduce, but it requires the assistance of an outside source. Therefore, the
definition of life can be very vague sometimes.
(above) This is a picture displaying the process of
a virus invading a cell to reproduce.
The
Miller-Urey experiment is an experiment that artificially reproduces the Earth’s
environment in the early stages of life by trapping a chemical mixture in a
container and running electric sparks through it. The result is the creation of
amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are an essential part of
life. In an infinitely vast Universe, it is inevitable that the conditions for
life similar to Earth’s must exist somewhere else. Certainly, Earth is not the
only planet with intelligent life forms.
Bibliography
Davies, Paul, and John Gribbin. The Matter Myth. New York: Orion Productions, 1992. Print
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