With these extremes in mind, we can begin to define what is life. The first major characteristic that is unique of life is the ability to reproduce. Whether an organism is asexual or sexual, it must be able to reproduce to form its own kind. Another qualification of life is its genetic make-up. All organisms must have some sort of DNA as its basis for its characteristics.
Some organisms have more genes than others, but all have some.
These genes are passed on, through the reproductive process, to the offspring of the parent or parents. RNA could be seen as the genetic base for early life. All life relies on the intake of certain compounds to sustain itself. All organisms need foreign substances to sustain themselves. All organisms have a life-span.