Can Rocks be Alive and Can Rocks Die?

Rocks can come with a sense of wonder with all the many patterns and colors they can have.  Some people look at them with thoughts of “could these things be where life originated from”.  “Maybe the contents within rocks may have caused life”, or “maybe those rocks are actually alive”.

These questions are typically thought about in regards to where life on earth may have come from.  With earth having plenty of rocks with elemental contents, many people may think that rocks themselves could be alive.

Rocks are not alive and therefore rocks cannot die.  Rocks do not carry the complex organic components to be considered alive. Without complex organic components, also means rocks cannot die as well. 

Rocks do not have cells, organs, or blood.  This also means that rocks do not have DNA.  That complex structure that are the blueprints of life for an organism will not exist in a rock.

Rocks simply carry elemental contents.  Which are elements from the periodic table of elements.  Rocks change through the “Rock Life Cycle” and nowhere in that cycle can life procure from the changes. 

I have written an article “Diagram of The Rock Cycle” if you are interested in a reference on the rock cycle.  This article will go into more detail about the cycle rocks will go through.

Are Rocks Capable of Eating?

Rocks cannot eat because rocks are not alive.  Rocks do not have teeth, they don’t eat food or feel hungry.  Rocks are not complex organisms that require any sort of sustenance for life or survival.

Some may think that rocks can absorb nutrients through its surface or with roots.  Rocks do not have roots or absorb nutrients for consumption.  Rocks are not living organisms.

Can Minerals be Alive?

Minerals are not alive.  They are created from elemental contents of rocks and they do not carry any cells, organs, blood, or DNA.  This means that minerals cannot die either.

One of the great wonders of our earth is the elemental formations that occur within rocks to create minerals.  Minerals end up being a bit more complex than the rocks that hold them.     

Even though minerals are more complex and at times look very beautiful, they are not alive and therefore cannot die as well.

Can Rocks have Energy?

Rocks do have energy though it is considered potential energy, or stored energy.  Like a rock rolling down hill, or the contents of a rock being able to react to elements, water, and heat.  Rocks can contain elements used for energy, but until an action or reaction occurs, nothing happens.

There are some that have different thoughts in mind for this question.  Some ask this question in regards to some sort of spiritual energy.  Many believe that while holding rocks or minerals, or just being around them, there will be some transfer of unseen energy to you.

Could Fossils Make Rocks Alive?

Rocks do have fossils in them though this will not make the rock alive.   Microscopic organisms might get trapped with the larger fossil, but eventually all life will die within the rock.  Life within a rock does not make the rock alive.

Rocks can contain life.  The only way that this is possible will be if the organisms inhabiting the rock have all they need to thrive.  Heat, pressure, and other lack of life sustaining elements will kill life within a rock.

A good example of life in a rock might be microbes living in and around porous rocks.  They actually have a way for life sustaining elements to enter into the rock and anything else to exit.  Once that flow is cut off, the life within the rock will die.

I’ve Heard About Moving Rocks

Indeed there is the wonder in regards to rocks moving.  Rocks do not move by themselves though, they require some other acts of nature to make that happen.  Rocks moving only occurs through what is called weathering or erosion events, and not due to rocks being alive in any way.

If you don’t know much about “weathering” I have written a good article that can help explain in more detail with a few pictures.  “The Breaking Down of Rocks Through Weathering”

Conclusion

When it comes to science and areas such as geology, things can be categorized based on properties, attributes, and other things that define it.  For instance, rocks are not considered minerals as minerals have distinguishing properties that classify it as a mineral.

So in light of that, a rock will not be alive and cannot die, or it would cease to be an actual rock.  It would be considered some other sort of living organism with classifying properties.

If you are interested in reading up a bit more on rocks and minerals, what they are and what they are not, I have an article on “The Differences Between Rocks and Minerals”.  This article will go into more detail about rocks and also about minerals.