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Question
How could you tell if a cell is living or dead?
This deceptively simple question is not easy to answer. If the cell is part of a multicelled organism (like animals), the difference between living and dead is defined for the whole organism, not just a single cell. If the cell is an independent organism such as bacteria and archaea, the issue of life and death is also hard to focus on, since many of these single cells can be dehydrated and survive for hundreds of thousands of years in a state that appears dead, only to revive when conditions improve. I am sorry I can not provide a satisfactory answer. David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
May 22, 2006
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- I asked a question but there was no answer?
- Who is the Astrobiologist answering these questions?
- Will I get an email when my question is answered?
- What college courses should I take to become an astrobiologist?
- How can I get a job as an astrobiologist at NASA?
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- Astrobiology Career Path Suggestions
