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Since then scientists all over the world have made desperate efforts to synthesize a living cell. Inspite of unbelievable advances and inspite of our accurate and detailed knowledge regarding every material substance which is involved in the making of a cell, no one has yet been able to synthesize a living cell in the laboratory."!
LIVING AND NON-LIVING
In its composition, a living organism contains no special element but is mainly made up of some 16 of the 92 elements that occur naturally on the earth. Its functioning is governed by some unique biological laws. The essence of living organism is the set of principles determining the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next. Besides free will, which is the chief characteristic of life, a living organism also possesses all of the following attributes of organization: excitability, conductivity, contractibility, metabolism, growth and reproduction. One or more of these, but not all, may be possessed by non-living matter. Thus the characteristics of the living are:
(a) Living organisms can grow, reproduce and move;
(b) They are cellular (except for a few);
(c) They convert food into energy;
(d) They are irritable and adaptable;
(e) Each has a span of life after which it dies.
Now the question is,--what is death? The keynote of life is organisation. The body is a living organism and is made up of cells which are specialized for specific functions. They are arranged in an intricate but organized pattern to suit the functions of the body. Cells are grouped 1. According to the Jains, life is not merely a composition of material substance. A non-material soul-substance is also essential to create a live cell. Soul is a substance but not a physical one. And this non-material substance can neither be created nor destroyed. In future, also, scientists may succeed is synthesizing cach and every component of cytoplasm-molecules of various proteins, DNA, RHA etc.-and correctly and precisely be able to assemble them, it would never be a live cell. The existence of the soul, distinct from the body, is not merely a concept but a metaphysical reality.
JAIN BIOLOGY
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