INQUIRY INTO LIFE

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C H 1 A P T E R Biology The Study of Life SEM 37 000X Thomas Deerinck Science Source Artificial Life What are the minimal requirements for life That question has occupied the minds of philosophers and scientists for thousands of years However in just the past decade answers to this question have begun to emerge from a developing field of scientific study called artificial life One of the first of these studies occurred in 2010 when a research team led by Craig Venter a pioneer in genetic research was successful in removing the genetic information contained within the DNA of a bacterium and replacing it with a synthetic form of DNA In 2016 the same group of researchers took their research one step further This time they asked what minimal instructions were needed by a cell for it to be considered alive They constructed a cell that functioned on just 473 genes humans have around 19 000 In the process they not only narrowed in on what the minimal requirements for life are but also created the first example of an artificial species The development of artificial life opens up the opportunity for humans to construct cells that perform specific tasks such as producing insulin cleaning toxic waste or producing fuel more efficiently However there are concerns about these new endeavors and some scientists are urging constraint until the risks have been determined In this chapter we are going to explore the concept of life by examining the general characteristics that are shared by all living organisms on our planet CHAPTER OUTLINE 1 1 The Characteristics of Life 1 2 The Classification of Organisms 1 3 The Process of Science 1 4 Challenges Facing Science As you read through this chapter think about the following questions 1 What are the basic characteristics that define life 2 How do the processes of adaptation and evolution shape life over time 3 How might the use of artificial life help scientists address some of the challenges facing society 1C H 1 A P T E R Biology The Study of Life SEM 37 000X Thomas Deerinck Science Source Artificial Life What are the minimal requirements for life That question has occupied the minds of philosophers and scientists for thousands of years However in just the past decade answers to ...this question have begun to emerge from a developing field of scientific study called artificial life One of the first of these studies occurred in 2010 when a research team led by Craig Venter a pioneer in genetic research was successful in removing the genetic information contained within the DNA of a bacterium and replacing it with a synthetic form of DNA In 2016 the same group of researchers took their research one step further This time they asked what minimal instructions were needed by a cell for it to be considered alive They constructed a cell that functioned on just 473 genes humans have around 19 000 In the process they not only narrowed in on what the minimal requirements for life are but also created the first example of an artificial species The development of artificial life opens up the opportunity for humans to construct cells that perform specific tasks such as producing insulin cleaning toxic waste or producing fuel more efficiently However there are concerns about these new endeavors and some scientists are urging constraint until the risks have been determined In this chapter we are going to explore the concept of life by examining the general characteristics that are shared by all living organisms on our planet CHAPTER OUTLINE 1 1 The Characteristics of Life 1 2 The Classification of Organisms 1 3 The Process of Science 1 4 Challenges Facing Science As you read through this chapter think about the following questions 1 What are the basic characteristics that define life 2 How do the processes of adaptation and evolution shape life over time 3 How might the use of artificial life help scientists address some of the challenges facing society 1

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