What is the smallest unit of life?

Answer by  dsmith42 (371)

It depends on how you define life. By some definitions, a virus is life because it can reproduce itself. By others, it is not because it requires a cell to reproduce. But a prion is a self-replicating protein that is even smaller than a virus, and it could also be called life.

Answer by  HH (404)

You are correct. The smallest unit of life is the cell. To fit the definition of life, a metabolism should be present, such as conversion of sugar (glucose) for example to energy. There are single cell organisms, notably bacteria, that can metabolize, grow and replicate by themselves. Viruses can not.