What makes our body alive?  The soul, spirit, or what? ?

The word Soul has a basic meaning of 'Breather'

The word Spirit has a basic meaning of 'Breath'

When Jehovah added the 'spirit of life' [breath] to Adam's fleshly body, Adam became alive or living person a living breather.

In God's word, the soul is the entire person.

In God's word, the word translated as spirit has 7 different meanings.

One of these meanings is 'breath'  

This helps see the combination.

Thus when a 'Breather' in 'Breathing' they are alive.

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What do the Scriptures tell us?  Since Jesus said that the Scriptures are the truth - John 17:17 - Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.  - - - -  The Scriptures say that Adam became a living person after God put in him the breath of life - Genesis 2:7 - And Jehovah God went on to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living person.  - - - -  Whether you use the name Jehovah, Yahweh, or just God when referring to our Creator, the point is that God put the breath of life into mankind.  Another Scripture that helps us understand the answer to your question is one that shows that the "soul" can die - Ezekiel 18:4 - Look! All the souls — to me they belong. As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son — to me they belong. The soul who sins is the one who will die.  - - - -  So the teaching that the soul lives on after death, cannot be accurate according to God's word of truth.  The soul can die.  But what about the spirit?  Ecclesiastes 12:7 - Then the dust returns to the earth, just as it was, and the spirit returns to the true God who gave it.  - - - -  So the spirit returns to God.  Notice what happens to a persons thought process when that spirit goes out -

Psalm 146:4 - His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish.  - - - -  So, God's word of truth says that on the day that the spirit goes out, a person's thoughts perish.  That is in harmony with what these 2 Scriptures indicate - Ecclesiastes 9:5 & 10 - 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.  - - - -  So in view of the foregoing, when a person dies, they cease to exist.  There are no more thoughts.  No more knowledge.  They simply return to the dust.  So to answer your question, "What makes our body alive?"  It is the spark of life that God gives to a person that makes their body function.  The medical profession has understood that the brain and body functions rely on electrical impulses.  When a person's brain activity stops, all of the body ceases to function.  So when a person dies, you could say that the spark of life has gone out.  And the Scriptures credit God for that spark of life.  And he gave mankind the ability to pass on this spark of life through the reproductive organs.  When a child is born and the doctor slaps their bottom, they begin to breath and that process keeps the spark of life within them.  Because if they don't start breathing, they die.  Similar to when God created Adam and gave him the breath of life.  One important thing to note is that God can re-create a person.  In the Scriptures, this is called a resurrection.  Bringing one back to life.  God wants everyone to know the truth about these things - 1 Timothy 2:4 – whose (God’s) will is that all sorts of people should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.  - - - -  But His word of truth warns us that there are many false teachings promoted by false religion - 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light. 15 It is therefore nothing extraordinary if his ministers also keep disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works.  - - - -  But as you would expect from a loving God of Truth, he gives us guidance on how to make sure we are not misled by such teachings - Acts 17:11 . . . carefully examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.  - - - -  If we examine the Scriptures carefully, we can expose any false teaching for what it is.  We can recognize when someone is twisting the Scriptures - 2 Peter 3:16. . . and these things the ignorant and unstable are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.  - - - -  The reason we can recognize when someone is twisting the Scriptures is because the Scriptures (the truth) cannot be contradictory.  For example, either God is a trinity, or He is not.  Both cannot be true.  And either Jesus is God, or he is not.  Both cannot be true.  So we can examine the Scriptures to make sure we are getting accurate knowledge.  There is no greater treasure to be found. Bible truth liberates us from superstition, confusion, and morbid fear. It gives us hope, purpose, and joy. Jesus said: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”​—John 8:32.  - - - -  Jesus assures us that we can KNOW the truth.  And that truth sets us free from all sorts of false religious teachings.  Such as the teaching that when a person dies, their soul or spirit keeps on living somewhere else.  That is not what God's word of truth teaches.  Really, if the person was still alive somewhere, what need would there be for a resurrection.  If they were already alive.  But the Bible clearly teaches a resurrection - John 11:24 & 25 - 24 Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life;  - - - -  That is pretty clear.  So I would like to invite you to visit a web site where free Bible lessons are offered online without asking you to register, or give out your email address.  No personal information is required.  But ALWAYS examine the Scriptures carefully, to make sure you are getting the accurate knowledge that God wants you to have.  The site is: 

www.jw.org

"Soul" and "life" are used interchangably in the Hebrew scriptures.

When God breathed into the man, he became a living soul.

The death of the spirit in Adam happened from disobedience. You must be reborn of God's Spirit to receive eternal life. Without God's Spirit, "life" is a kind of living-death.

Go to Jesus and seek mercy for the forgiveness of sins and receive this eternal life. Learn from him.

The kingdom of God is at hand.... so close you can touch it. 

Why sit there until you die?  

If you remain where you are, you must perish.  

If you go to Jesus you will live. If you sit in sullen dispair no one can pity you when your ruin comes; but if you were to die SEEKING MERCY (as IF that were possible) you would be the object of universal sympathy.  

You know others who were saved by believing in Him (your own friends and neighbors); so why not you? Why not taste and see that the Lord is merciful?  

To perish is awful. We assure that if you seek Him, you will find Him, for He casts out none who come to Him. You shall not perish if you trust Him. On the contrary; you shall find treasure; eternal treasure, that will be stored up for you beyond this life.  

We preach to the living even where the vultures gather because we must. Because we know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Because we too were about to perish when we got up and sought mercy for ourselves. We preach because God has ordained us to do just that.  A sacred responsibility.

Blood. As the scriptures saith,"The life of the flesh is in the blood". 

breath of life from God the creator

Exactly the same thing that makes insect bodies alive, bird bodies alive, elephant bodies alive, reptile bodies alive etc etc etc etc.

What is that thing? NATURE.