Why Should Viruses Be Considered 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

As soon as the virus begins to grow by reproducing it is known as living, because all living things make another organism or reproduce. When the virus reproduces it can make a different form of genetic makeup causing doctors to find other ways to get the virus out of the body system. This is another reason why viruses are alive. The last thing a virus can do is try to adapt to their way of life, which can lead to the virus being killed by chemo and radiation or can cause the death of someone by taking over the body. That is why viruses are living organisms.

Viruses are microscopic particles that invade and take over both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. They consist of two structures, which are the nucleic acid and capsid. The nucleic acid contains all genetic material in the form of DNA or RNA, and is enclosed in the capsid, which is the protein coating that helps the virus attach to and penetrate the host cell. In some cases, certain viruses have a membrane surrounding the capsid, called an envelope. This structure allows viruses to become more stealthy and protected. There are two cycles in which a virus can go into: lytic and lysogenic. The lytic cycle consists of the virus attaching to a cell, injecting its DNA, and creating more viruses, which proceed to destroy the host. On the other hand, the lysogenic cycle includes the virus attaching to the cell, injecting its DNA, which combines with the cell’s DNA in order for it to become provirus. Then, the provirus DNA may eventually switch to the lytic cycle and destroy the host.

Unlike bacteria, that have everything it needs to reproduce, viruses need to use a living cell's organelles in order to replicate.

The virus fuses with the cell’s plasma membrane. The capsid proteins are removed, releasing the viral proteins and RNA. Reverse transcriptase catalyzes the synthesis of a DNA strand complementary to the viral RNA. Reverse transcriptase catalyzes the synthesis of a second DNA strand complementary to the first. The double-stranded DNA is incorporated as a provirus into the cell’s DNA. Proviral genes are transcribed into RNA molecules, which serve as genomes for the next viral generation and as mRNAs for translation into viral proteins. The viral proteins include capsid proteins and reverse transcriptase (made in the cytosol) and envelope glycoproteins (made in the ER). Vesicles transport the glycoproteins from the ER to the cell’s plasma membrane. Capsids are assembled around viral genomes and reverse transcriptase molecules. New viruses bud off from the host cell.

After looking at many articles I believe that viruses are not alive. Even though in the beginning I believed they were. For an object to be alive it needs to have certain characteristics such as being able to: grow, develop, have a purpose, reproduce, adapt, and have cells. A living thing could reproduce which means they would make offspring. Viruses don't have the ability to grow and develop on their own. Viruses don’t have the ability to reproduce on their own without the help of a keeper

There Is another view that contends viruses as living entities. In 2009 David Moreira & Purificacion Lopez Garcia wrote an entry about the reasons why viruses should not be inducted into the tree of life. The main support of their claim is that viruses do not meet the criteria that defines life. Viruses have the same molecular composition as cells: mainly nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and complex sugars() . In the past this similarity has led scientists to believe that viruses were alive. For many years’ viruses were thought to be the “missing link” (Moreira & Lopez) between the “non-living and the first cells” (Moreira & Lopez). With the discovery of DNA encoding came a theory and definition for what defines life. The theory was based on the fact that all living entities have DNA and evolve. Under these criteria viruses were considered to be living because we know they contain DNA and there has been considerable research showing the ancestral lineage of viruses. This theory survived for many years as the most widely accepted way to describe life. This theory was put to rest in the year 2000 when the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses officially concluded that viruses are not alive. This view is still held by many scientists

A virus is an infecting agent. Viruses are non-living they need a living host, a living organism to replicate themselves. When it invades a cell it will implant their code that is capable of copying itself. This will cause a detrimental effect, corrupting the system ti its advantage or complete destruction.

1. In the 19th century researchers realized that some diseases such as hand foot mouth and also rabies were caused by particles that acted like bacteria. Which means virus's are alive because the particles would need t be alive to still contaminate people.

The virus starts by getting a host cell and either uses it right away then kills it or kills right away usually they use it first. When the virus invades a body, It collides with the cell that spicks and propherances then they brush against each other and it if they fit together become one. The viruses is also able to hide from the immune system therefore avoiding being killed so it can reproduce. Then the virus gains control of a cell by injecting its genes into the cell and makes it do whatever it wants for the benefits of the virus not the cell. Of course while you have a cell doing the dirty work for you. The viruses make is own offspring/ copies of itself and takes of over and invading surrounding cells.

The G protein binds to cells and starts the infection. The virus __uncoats__ inside the cell, which means that the RNP is released into the cytoplasm where viral replication take place. The first step is for the virus to make its proteins. The viral RNA is used as a template for the L protein to transcribe messenger RNAs (mRNAs). These mRNAs tell the cell's ribosomes to make viral proteins instead of the cell's proteins. Once enough viral proteins are made, the L protein starts to make new copies of the viral genome. This RNA is bound by new copies of the L, P, and N protein forming new RNPs. These are covered with M protein and then gain an envelope with the G protein as it leaves the cell forming a new infectious

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

The first way is the Lytic cycle. In the lytic cycle, the virus attaches itself on its host cell, then it injects its nucleic acid into the cell, then when the virus reproduces when the cell reproduces, in the end there is too many viruses in the cell so it lices, the viruses then go infect other cells. In the lysogenic cycle, the virus attaches itself to its host cell, then it injects its nucleic acid in the cell, then it stays dormant for as long as it wants to. Once the virus "wakes up" it reproduces itself and the cell cannot hold the viruses, it lyces and they go do the same thing to other

The protective capsid helps the virus escape detection and destruction during the invasion of the host. When the virus reaches the target cell, biochemical reactions between the capsid and cell wall allow the virus to latch on and inject its genome into the cell’s interior. Once inside, the viral genetic material insinuates itself into the host’s DNA or RNA. In an efficient feat of natural bioengineering, the host cell’s genetic machinery now does the rest of the work for the virus. The cell, which had already been making copies of its own genome, now also replicates that of the virus. Coded within the viral material is the blueprint for making more copies of the viral genome. Further instructions command the production of capsids and directions for assembly of new viruses. After the host cell becomes engorged with viruses, it explodes, sending the new

It then uses the machinery within the cell to replicate itself using reverse transcription. Once replication has occurred there is a number of new viruses in the cell and the infected cell lyses releasing the new viruses to infect neighboring cells (Libman and Makaden 2000).