Why Does Everything Have to Die?

Question

We regrow our skin, our hair, our nails, the cells in our body - why must we die?
Why is there nothing in nature that lives forever? Why is all life intrinsically mortal? Why can't organisms continue to ingest energy from sunlight and other life?

Answer 1

Not a very deep or mysterious question..
The cell death, is encrypted and coded in every cell (DNA), so that it has a biological "timer"
Apoptosis is a term described for the programmed cell death...
Death in any living being (human or animal). is a massive apoptosis, preceded by general organic failure, starting with one or several organs (take as an example, a massive myocardial infarction).....and we die either suddenly, or after a cascade of complications in other organs of our body.....
Once yourcells are dead, it does not matter how much energy they have around, because the intrinsic metabolism of the cell has stopped forever.,...simple like that....
The recent example of the cell "death" clock, was the cloning of the sheep "Dolly" in the UK....after 1 and a half years, she started with degenerative arthritis, calcinosis (calcifications) of several parts of the body, and cardiac problems, proper of a 5 year old sheep,,,
The reason????
The DNA used to clone the sheep, was already old for that new animal....and developed degenerative diseases of the true age of the DNA used,,,,
Again, biological clock in DNA and programed apoptosis...

Answer 2

Generally, higher organisms die because the ability to replenish/repair certain components fails.

For humans, the body constantly makes chemicals within itself that are highly toxic. These are both byproducts of metabolism and used to destroy bacteria and infected cells (lysozyme, hydrogen peroxide). It's random chance if these chemicals leak out, but if they do, can cause problems.
Then, there's DNA. It's what makes higher animals, well, higher animals. The only problem with it is, that if it gets damaged, then the organism (usually) dies. There are ways to repair it, but even a system that is 99.99999999999999999% effective will fail, and that one failure can lead to death. If a codon (part of DNA that codes for amino acid) is changed, it could cause a cell to make a protein that, instead of say, messaging another cell to produce a hormone, could make a protein that tells other cells to lyse (explode). Or it can make cancer, a mass of cells on overdrive, taking nutrients away from other cells. Then some things (like neurons) can't be replaced; yet.

Smaller life forms have short life spans (protists, bacteria) because sometimes they are made to require a certain enzyme, but are only 'born' with a set amount of that enzyme. So when they use up that enzyme, they die. If they were given the ability to make that enzyme, would they last longer? Maybe. But then maybe that's how higher organisms came to be; cells joining together to live longer.

Answer 3

You ask a very profound question. However, you need to define what you mean by "forever". Nothing can exist forever. Not even this universe itself. Now if you mean significant increase in over all productive life span, 100s or perhaps 1000s of years, it is, in my opinion, within the framework to achieve. Personally, I view this generation of humanity as the first; the very first to simply allow death to over take them. We are the first generation of human beings to literally possess the tools to increase our useful life span significantly. Why don't we? Our religion, politics, and old traditions are the primary roadblocks to achieving it. Want to live for 300 years, perhaps a 1000; we have the technology to lay the groundwork in order to make it happen. But consider what a 300 or 1000 year extension would mean to people and to the nature of life on the planet. There would have to be many, many changes to life style and to established institutions. People in power and control do not like change.

Answer 4

We die because it's the circle of life. Actually, if a tree lived, undisturbed, it would live forever (so long as soil, air, and sun, and rain existed). IF nothing ever died, the population of all species would be so high that the planet would have died/ran out of resources WAY before now. Som organisms still do, others have evolved past that point.

Answer 5

Its in my contract. I have to make sure things die, if they get old accidents, horror film charachters (except i have to bring them back to life when the movie airs on Tv thats kinda tricky). However the good news is i Make more then A-Rod and Paris hilton so im rich. And i get the privalege of taking peoples stuff after they die, still waiting on Senor Gates.

Answer 6

Because God, who is the creator set a period of all organisms life in this world and if all living beings don't die their will be over populated and of course their will no space or area for other living organism to stay.

Answer 7

Cellular breakdown, but good news scientists are allready working on it, but unless you have a lot of money don't bother.

The amount will be to die for.Just kidding.

Answer 8

With my luck, I'll live forever, but go senile and impotent at 85.

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Answer 9

Because you touch yourself at night.

Answer 10

because if nothing died there would be a buttload of creatures all over the earth, as if there aren't too many already.