Mules are infertile and thus cannot produce offspring. Since one criterion for life is the ability to reproduce, is a mule not alive?
Dec 06, 2021
988
Although a mule cannot have offspring, it still satisfies the reproduction criterion for life because its cells reproduce. In order to grow, repair damage, etc., the cells of all multi-cell creatures reproduce quite often. Thus, the mule has the ability to reproduce at the cellular level, which satisfies the criterion.
