Scientists discover a state between life and death

Key Points:

• Scientists have discovered a "third state" of existence where certain cells survive an organism's death and transform into new, functioning multicellular entities, challenging the traditional binary view of life and death.
• Researchers created Xenobots from frog embryo skin cells and Anthrobots from human lung cells, both of which can move independently and perform functions like self-repair and kinematic replication.
• This phenomenon is believed to be enabled by a hidden "electrical toolkit" within cells that activates after the organism's death, allowing cells to reprogram themselves and communicate in new ways.
• The ability of cells to survive postmortem depends on factors such as cell type, environment, age, and health, with some cells like white blood cells remaining active for days after death.
• The discovery has significant medical implications, potentially leading to therapies where patient-derived cellular bots could deliver drugs, clear arterial plaque, or regenerate tissues without immune rejection.