Let there be LIFE!

My sister and brother in law told us the story of their camping trip to Glencoe. They arrived at the campsite and began unpacking the car… At a certain stage in the unpacking process they realised that they had brought the tent but not the poles!

All the independent forms of life that have been investigated so far are found enclosed within a membrane. This defines the edges of something which is alive. Inside is the cytoplasm…the essential living mass of molecules and reaction. Outside is the great environment with all its blessings and curses.

The membrane seals.

When the membrane seals then you need everything necessary for life to be on the inside of the membrane to make the little creature living. This includes all the materials and structures for a functioning life cycle. This turns out to be rather a large amount of nanotechnology!

Don’t shut the lid until you are sure you have got everything!