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 Scientists have identified a mysterious "third state" between life and death — where some cells don't simply perish.

Instead, the reorganize into new life after an organism dies.

 Under the right conditions, these cells can reorganize, adapt, and even create entirely new, functional structures. 

In a remarkable experiment, researchers took skin cells from a deceased frog embryo and watched as they assembled into living entities called xenobots. These tiny, self-propelled organisms could move, heal, and even replicate by herding other cells into their shape—behaviors never seen in ordinary tissue.

Even more astonishing, similar results have emerged in human cells. Lung cells from a donor formed anthrobots—small, mobile blobs capable of interacting with their environment and even assisting nearby nerve repair. These findings suggest that, far from being inert, some post-mortem cells retain regenerative creativity. Scientists envision future biobots built from a patient’s own cells to deliver medicine, clear clogged vessels, or rebuild tissues—then naturally degrade without immune rejection. It’s a bold new chapter in regenerative medicine, where the end of life may no longer mean the end of cellular purpose.

Source: "Biobots arise from the cells of dead organisms − pushing the boundaries of life, death and medicine.