Indeed, if not told to live -- if not given some kind of active instruction from another cell -- cells automatically kill themselves. Cells need a lot of reassurance.
In "A Short History of Nearly Everything," Bill Bryson discusses the importance of external signals for cellular survival. He notes that cells are not self-sufficient entities; instead, they require guidance and instruction from their environment to continue functioning. Without these signals, cells tend to undergo programmed cell death, demonstrating their dependency on external factors for sustenance and motivation.
This observation highlights the intricate nature of life at the cellular level, where...