Why Does Immortality Not Exist, and Can It Be Achieved?

In this work, we analyze the reasons for the absence of immortality from the perspective of “genetic information metabolism.” All living organisms synthesize and release genes, including novel and previously unknown genes, into the external environment through the process of genetic information metabolism. As a result, new genes become available for inclusion in the unified complex of genetic information represented by all living and non-living carriers, which has been termed the “Pangenome,” ensuring the maintenance of life on Earth under changing biotic and abiotic conditions. Part of the newly created genetic information remains inaccessible to spreading to other members of the Pangenome during the lifetime of an organism and can only be released after its death. We hypothesize, to our knowledge for the first time, that the absence of immortality is associated with the necessity of releasing novel genes for spread within the Pangenome, which can happen efficiently only after an organism’s death. We define the spread of genes and their integration into the genomes of other organisms as “gene reincarnation.” Within the Pangenome, genes are redistributed, ensuring the further evolution of life. We formulate a new definition of death as “a stage in the metabolism of genetic information during which all genes of an organism become available for reincarnation.” This understanding for the first time views death as a crucial part of the genetic cycle of life. Based on above novel concepts, we propose certain properties that immortal organisms should possess.