Question

Is the cytoplasm living or dead?

Answer 1

think of cytoplasm as the plasma of the cell. The cell is alive and the organelles are alive, but at the same time, the cell is considered the most basic form of life. The argument could made either way. Personally, I don't consider it alive

Answer 2

The general description of life in biology requires that something fall into a set of specific categories. There are certain things that "life" must demonstrate in order for it to be considered biologically alive. This list was cut and pasted directly from wiki:

1. Homeostasis: Regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state; for example, electrolyte concentration or sweating to reduce temperature.
2. Organization: Being structurally composed of one or more cells, which are the basic units of life.
3. Metabolism: Transformation of energy by converting chemicals and energy into cellular components (anabolism) and decomposing organic matter (catabolism). Living things require energy to maintain internal organization (homeostasis) and to produce the other phenomena associated with life.
4. Growth: Maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism than catabolism. A growing organism increases in size in all of its parts, rather than simply accumulating matter.
5. Adaptation: The ability to change over a period of time in response to the environment. This ability is fundamental to the process of evolution and is determined by the organism's heredity as well as the composition of metabolized substances, and external factors present.
6. Response to stimuli: A response can take many forms, from the contraction of a unicellular organism to external chemicals, to complex reactions involving all the senses of multicellular organisms. A response is often expressed by motion, for example, the leaves of a plant turning toward the sun (phototropism) and by chemotaxis.
7. Reproduction: The ability to produce new individual organisms, either asexually from a single parent organism, or sexually from two parent organisms.

So, cytoplasm is not "alive."
In biology, the smallest thing that fits into these categories is a cell, and cytoplasm is a part of cells. It's sort of like asking if a kidney is a human- it's a PART of humans, but is not directly a human.
However, instead of living, it would be fair to say that cytoplasm is "organically derived" or merely "organic."
Hope this helps.

Answer 3

marselgray: the organells are not alive. a virus is more alive than a cellular organelle