and how did it come to exist? What about viruses? they contain genetic material, and reproduce, but are not alive? how did viruses come to be?
This is the question of abiogenesis, and while there are several theories, there's no consensus (unlike evolution!). What the theories agree on is that the first forms of life were much, much simpler than even the most basic life-forms today. The Wikipedia article on abiogenesis is quite informative: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis
Wikipedia also has information on the origin of viruses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus#Origins
in the bible it says the first living things god made was vegetation, so if you consider plants living then plants were but if you dont then it says later that he made things in the sea and birds, so those were the first living organism
the bible? the bible is WRONG, scientifically bacteria was the first living organism. The flatworm was the fist complex organism, just thought id throw that in there
why was bacteria first?
I hate it when people put in stupid religious comments in the science section.
the bible is a religous document but at the moment its closer than sicence
I believe it was the amoeba...but I am, on occasion, mistaken.