Researchers redefine what it means for a cell to be alive or dead

Cellular death is a fundamental concept in the biological sciences. Given its significance though, its definition depends on the context in which it takes place, and lacks a general mathematical definition. Researchers propose a new mathematical definition of death based on whether a potentially dead cell can return to a predefined 'representative state of living,' which are the states of being that we can confidently call 'alive.' The researchers' work could be useful for biological researchers and future medical research.