DNA structures are like algorithms. The DNA is the information that tell our cells (and cells is the most basic unit of life, most important too) how to do things. So everything requires DNA ...
Life is not something inside you and me. Life is something present at each cell of our body. It´s not just the brain that can die, our finger, our foot, our skin ... everything can die. We are the combination of all this, we are not only our brains like Artificial Intelligence tend to think. Everything is interconnected to perform life. Including intelligence. Intelligence don´t exist for itself, it exists for the living being.
Look, i´m nothing and i just have very basic knowledge of AI, i´m much more a philosopher than a researcher. But, i´m trying to bring new points in order to find new ways to do things. So i´m just trying to bring up new points, not the final truth.