Can a computer start and function without ram and a Hard Drive?

YES! a computer can work with out a hard disk! there are operating systems now that run off a CD and do not require a hard drive to be present in the system . There are also operating systems that run off off a usb key storage device as well you can boot a computer from a lan card and load a remote desktop like a thin client application. A live CD or live distro is a computer operating system that is executed upon boot, without installation to a hard disk drive. Typically, the live distro is named after the bootable medium it is stored on, such as a CD-ROM or DVD (live CD/DVD) or a USB flash drive (live USB).