The cancer cells are genetic clones of some dog’s cancer from 11000 years ago. Yes, they’re alive similarly to how your and my cells are alive. The cells themselves live, die and reproduce asexually. I’d say they constitute life forms, but I’m no biologist.
I mean… there is an argument to be made that… genetically… hell, cladistically, the cancer is a dog. It’s just… a very special one?
This absolutely stretches our understanding of what is a dog and maybe even what is a life form. Maybe we should start looking even at viruses as forms of life. In the end the only distinguishing factor might be if it has inheritable properties which are subject to evolution
The cancer cells are genetic clones of some dog’s cancer from 11000 years ago. Yes, they’re alive similarly to how your and my cells are alive. The cells themselves live, die and reproduce asexually. I’d say they constitute life forms, but I’m no biologist.
I mean… there is an argument to be made that… genetically… hell, cladistically, the cancer is a dog. It’s just… a very special one?
This absolutely stretches our understanding of what is a dog and maybe even what is a life form. Maybe we should start looking even at viruses as forms of life. In the end the only distinguishing factor might be if it has inheritable properties which are subject to evolution
Yeah, life is weird! Viruses are life forms in my view.