There is a new article up on the Biology site - 10 Characteristics of Life - What is Life?

"Most people know that biology is the study of living organisms. But - do you know exactly how the concept of "life" is defined by science?"

Read the article and then come on back here to discuss it!

Really interesting to see �Life� put into that context Deborah, thanks for a great article.

Your short addenda covering �Viruses� is very topical for Germany at the moment as there is an ongoing outbreak of a E.coli bacterium, which has affected the north of the country badly, bringing deaths and almost two thousand hospitalised.

Its root cause has not been found yet and the list of raw vegetables the population are being told to take care about eating is growing, however the media repeatedly keep reporting it as being as a �virus�.

Am no great shakes at biology but, although a virus can make a a harmless bacteria toxic, surely �bacteria� and �virus� are two very different things?

Hello Francine!

Yes indeed, a bacterium and a virus are two very different things! Bacteria like E.coli meet all the characteristics of life, although we see them only through a microscope.