Life is "the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death." according to Google.

So since everything is made up of atoms. What is the atomic structure that separates life from say a rock which we think is lifeless. 

 

3 hours ago, Saiyan300Warrior said:

What is the atomic structure that separates life from say a rock which we think is lifeless. 

For the life that we know, DNA.

maybe this responds the question:

atoms>  compounds > amino acids > nucleotids > proteins > cells > tissues> organs & systems > organism>life

Edited October 11, 20205 yr by ahmet

Оbviously carbon and its compounds

Edited October 19, 20205 yr by molbol2000

The simple answer is making near identical copies of itself, tho simple proteins aren’t life, so what life is would be a group of proteins working in junction able to generate near exact copies of the entire protein chain.  The atomic structure of that is likely near infinite in terms of how to it’s made up (although probably small in terms of how such things can arbitrarily form in our universe without some intelligent designer I.e. humans making proteins in a lab.)