Some cells can enter a 'third state that lies beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death.' Here's how.

By Peter A Noble, Alex Pozhitkov
published 2 hours ago

Given the right conditions, certain types of cells are able to self-assemble into new lifeforms after the organism they were once part of has died.




Life and death are traditionally viewed as opposites. But the emergence of new multicellular life-forms from the cells of a dead organism introduces a "third state" that lies beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death.

Usually, scientists consider death to be the irreversible halt of functioning of an organism as a whole. However, practices such as organ donation highlight how organs, tissues and cells can continue to function even after an organism's demise. This resilience raises the question: What mechanisms allow certain cells to keep working after an organism has died?

We are researchers who investigate what happens within organisms after they die. In our recently published review, we describe how certain cells — when provided with nutrients, oxygen, bioelectricity or biochemical cues — have the capacity to transform into multicellular organisms with new functions after death.

Life, death and emergence of something new

The third state challenges how scientists typically understand cell behavior. While caterpillars metamorphosing into butterflies, or tadpoles evolving into frogs, may be familiar developmental transformations, there are few instances where organisms change in ways that are not predetermined. Tumors, organoids and cell lines that can indefinitely divide in a petri dish, like HeLa cells, are not considered part of the third state because they do not develop new functions.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/some-cells-can-enter-a-third-state-that-lies-beyond-the-traditional-boundaries-of-life-and-death-here-s-how