To What Extent Are Viruses Alive

The biological significance of this article is due in part to the fact that viruses are being considered as partway-living things. Even though they are only halfway living, per se, they are still an important part of the study of living things because of the unique way in which they “live” and continue to reproduce by taking advantage of host cells. The information in this article relates to biologists in that viruses provide an entirely different element of potential life, as they are a cause for reconsideration when it comes to defining and determining life and non-life forms. This

After researching this controversial question, I have come to the conclusion that viruses should be considered dead. My rationale is due to the simple fact that in order for something to be considered living, it needs to have the essential characteristics of life. These characteristics include growth, homeostasis, and the ability to reproduce as outlined below:

I believe that viruses do possess some of the characteristics of life processes. We still have to ask, does this classify them as a living organism? Compared to the seven characteristics of life, viruses don’t fall in all of the categories. From research and observation, studies have shown that viruses do have different levels of organization, which is important as a life process. Viruses contain either RNA or DNA nucleic acids genes, and a protein coat, which is usually called capsomeres. Even though it does not have many, it still has levels of organization. Viruses can also adapt to their environment. Viruses can live in two different phases; the lytic phase and lysogenic phase inside of their host cell. This shows that they can survive in different conditions. Viruses also have the ability to adapt, which makes it hard to treat, for example, HIV. It makes many mistakes when replicating a gene, which causes it to mutate frequently. Since the virus is constantly changing, it is hard to manufacture drugs and vaccines to combat it. Not all drugs and vaccines will be able to eliminate all of the virions, there will be a few remaining that have resisted the drug/vaccine and will be able to survive and infect more cells, producing more viruses. Those are the two life processes that viruses have.

Collins (1997) stated that Viruses are not true living cells and are much smaller than bacteria. Viruses are composed of a protein coating around genetic material (DNA or RNA) and are unable to reproduce unless they are inside a living cell. Viruses do not multiply in food. They do multiply in cells in various organs or tissues of the body. For example, Hepatitis A virus replicates in cells of the liver. It is quite difficult to isolate viruses on or in food. Normally, the best treatment for viral infections is allowing time (bed rest) for each individual's functioning immune system to combat the virus Viruses are much smaller in size. The viruses differ from bacteria are they cannot live outside without living host human or animals. The two important viruses are Hepatitis A virus and nor viruses

Kevin, althought you made good points I think you are making this more confusing than it is. I'm not talking about what a object contains, but what is made up of and live in. For example, we live in air and their is air in our body, not like a fish in a fish tank. That is why I dissigree with you and I think that viruses are alive.

I believe that viruses are not living. A virus is nothing more than the genetic material it carries and the protein or lipids its shell is made up of. It has nothing to help it function like organs for complex organisms or organelles for a cell. A cell needs organelles to perform tasks to help keep it living. It needs one to produce proteins, one to break down food, and so on. A virus needs none of that and that proves it is not alive. Living things need to be able to make energy out of something, whether it is sunlight or food, and viruses do not even have the bits and pieces that would allow them to do that. Another piece of evidence is that a virus does not have a cell membrane or its own way to digest/metabolize food. All living organisms

A virus should not be classified as a living thing. Viruses, such as the Influenza and Adenovirus do not grow nor do they have an energy source. The Influenza and Adenovirus also do not reproduce asexually or sexually, they reproduce by replication instead. They also do not respond towards external stimuli. According to the characterizes of all living things, growth is a requirement for life and since viruses like the Influenza virus cannot grow, they should not be classified as living. Living things also require an energy source because it is needed as fuel for important biological functions. Viruses lack an energy source and cannot fuel basic biological functions like homeostasis therefore they cannot be considered living. Reproduction is

A virus is a unique organism, it is neither alive nor dead or so they say. I personally believe that viruses are alive although lacking in characteristics that make up a live being only containing about three of the five regular characteristics; however, they still have properties that suggest that they are living for instance they have DNA ( deoxyribonucleic acid ), also they reproduce, and finally they contain nucleic acid and proteins. Throughout this essay I will explain my reasoning behind my argument that viruses are in fact alive and should be considered or classified as alive.

Life cannot be defined or classified, there are always exceptions and variations. No two forms of life are the same, so why are viruses automatically ruled out of this category and deemed simple a product of life by so many scientists? The exhibit many of life's essential characteristics but they are simple overlooked compared to their counterpart bacteria.There are 100,000 of viruses and no two are composed the same way, yes they have their atomic structure, but they all experience variability just like technical life. Viruses are even categorized into genomes based off of structure just like life. A virus is defined as “A small parasite that cannot reproduce by itself. Once it infects a susceptible cell, it can direct the cell machinery

believe that viruses are not alive because they do not have a cell structure which then

Viruses are extremely unique to the microbial world they are the smallest and simplest microbe. Virions are only 20-400nm in size, and they do not have any way to replicate outside the host cell. Viruses do not have a cell wall, instead of a cell wall

According to http://www.yourdictionary.com/ a virus is “Any of various submicroscopic agents that infect living organisms, often causing disease, and that consist of a single or double strand of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Unable to replicate without a host cell”. A few examples of a virus are HIV/AIDS, influenza(flu), chickenpox and mumps. A virus works by finding

Energy is an essential part of life all living organisms use energy to survive. To use the energy gain from digestion or synthesis a metabolism is needed helps break down the molecules and use the for energy for the body. A virus does not have a metabolism as stated by the Arizona Science Center “Viruses are too small and simple to collect or use their own energy– they just steal it from the cells they infect.” They also concluded that “Viruses only need energy when they make copies of themselves, and they don't need any energy at all when they are outside of a

Based on the description provided and the biologist's definition of life, I believe a virus should not be considered a living organism. To me, a virus does not meet the requirements needed that make up a living organism. A living organism must have the ability to reproduce to carry on for the future. While living organisms are made up of cells, viruses are made up of molecules. The complex levels of organization that living organisms go through go pass the level of just being made up of atoms and molecules. Organisms have cells, tissue, and organs which all function to become living. Reproducing is a key characteristic in anything that wants to live. Viruses are not able to reproduce naturally on their own and would not be able to grow or develop.

Secondly, viruses do not fit the scientific definitions and themes of life. In order for something to be classified as living, it must acquire all of the following 7 traits/themes: Order, Regulation, Growth and Development, Energy Utilization, Response to the Environment, Reproduction, and lastly evolution. Out of these 7 traits, viruses do not have order, they are too simple, regulation, they do not grow, and do not adapt. However, the traits that viruses do have are energy utilization, response to the environment, and reproduction. But technically, these traits are only active when the virus is on its host; the virus is not capable of preforming these themes on its own. Additionally the virus cannot possibly be living if it only contains a set amount of themes out of 7, not all. The scientific definition of a living thing even says that an organism must contain these 7 themes, all while a virus does not. In the end, a virus should not be put under a living thing if it cannot even fit the definition and requirements to be an organism.