Nothing in existence is dead , for there is always activity on a subatomic level. Because we have difficulty establishing what physically defines a living thing, we have had to rely on empirical evidence, which has led us astray in the past. Upon discovering organisms living in environments where we thought life was impossible, such as in the boiling water around oceanic vents and inside nuclear reactors, we have had to reevaluate our criteria. When molecular activity was discovered in the soil of Mars, scientists were unable to conclude whether or not it was life, because our knowledge is based entirely on what we have experienced on Earth, and consequently we may be incapable of recognizing alien organisms. As far as we know, life-forms cannot exist without the extraordinarily complex knowledge coded within the genes, yet they are ultimately made of elements common to all things.
Intent defines life.
Life-forms evolve to perpetuate the species within the guidelines set for the ultimate goal, of the continuing existence of the whole. If living things were programmed for the preeminence of the individual, evolution would follow an entirely different path. Single creatures do not evolve a longer life-span, which would be in the best interests of the individual, they change in order to assure the health of the species. You are designed to die, and no matter how far humanity progresses up the evolutionary ladder, a person eventually reaches a point where genetic coding dictates that the biological process must cease. The same applies to a species.