On death and Dying

The following CA (Rule #600) is controlled by the following buttons:
Plant: Plants a zygote.
Shorter:  Makes CA shorter (at least one state)
Longer: Makes CA longer 
Obstacle a toggle switch which places an obstacle at x=15.
Move obstacle+ moves it downward.
Move obstacle- moves it upward.
Kill CA

Start with planting a zygote and watch the one state CA advancing. Then click on "Longer" which determines how many states remain alive. The first state is the actual CA. It generates the other states which are its memory. When killed the CA consists only of its memories which then fade away. Older memories disappear first. The more memories a CA carries, the more prolonged is its dying.

All processes in the body follow this pattern. Take for instance protein assembly: Gene -> Proteins. The Gene is the active CA and the proteins, its "memory". When the gene is destroyed the assembly line disappears. (v Streaming proteins.)

The applet illustrates also that death is a process and not an instantaneous event.
Further reading:
How to slow down aging.
Death denial