Is a virus a living thing?

Question

while not whole heartedly a religious question it does impliment some religious factors, so what are your opinions and your faith.

TinyPuppy...


I am well aware of their ability to evolve, however even some of our greatest scientists will tell you that it is not a living thing

KMA

allow me to educate you "dumb @ss

you see to many RELIGIONS living things have a soul, this being said can one reach the conclusion that a virus has a soul, or does it not.

Pill of Truth

glad to know I have a fan, from what I remember it is the fact that it cannor reproduce without a host body or cell.

Answer 1

Yes, viruses are alive. This is a fact, not an opinion. I am an atheist.

Is a virus alive?
Yes - They reproduce which is a definite form of organization. True, they can not do it on their own, yet all living systems are open systems and depend upon their environment for survival. It is just that the environment a virus requires is another living cell. This is actually true for many symbiotic and parasitic cells.
A virus is not a living machine . It is only part of a machine, namely the blueprints. The virus only provides the plans, the cell has done the real living work. Outside of its host the virus shows no living qualities.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

It has been argued extensively whether viruses are living organisms. Most virologists consider them non-living, as they do not meet all the criteria of the generally accepted definition of life. They are similar to obligate intracellular parasites as they lack the means for self-reproduction outside a host cell, but unlike parasites, viruses are generally not considered to be true living organisms.

Answer 4

Viruses are organic and organic construction blocks. they do no longer seem to be organisms. they're alive interior the experience that they are organic and organic cloth, yet no longer interior the experience that they are self reliant residing issues. Who says they're residing? maximum scientists do no longer say virus stay. they could't reproduce on their very own, they could't use power, they could't flow on their very own, they have not got cellular areas. they could't respond to stimulus. So... for the definition of a residing organism, or being "alive" they don't seem to be.

Answer 5

Ahh, but the religious will say yes but they seem to think that unless something is a rock, it's alive.

Truth is, science isn't sure whether it's alive or not. It has characteristics of both the living and the non-living (not dead, non-living).

Answer 6

HMMM... Only one person got the answer correct so far....
Viruses are NOT alive (bacteria are)
Viruses are only made up of DNA, and have no other form of respiration, no, brain, no soul... they are just creepy if you think about it- they are non-living pieces of DNA that float around, mutate & screw with our immune systems.
Don't try to argue with me, go read a science book, I've got plenty of post graduate science classes to back me up & I"m not going to go cut & paste a Wickipedia article to prove it.

Answer 7

Semi-living. The term "living" is rather vague and this is a border case. It has some characteristics of living organisms but is missing others.

Answer 8

I have been taught that there are several things in existence that 'crossover' catagories -- a tomato has vegetable characteristics and fruit characteristics; fungi have plant-characteristics and animal characteristics; virii have organic characteristics and inorganic characteristics.

I'm not sure what my faith has to do with it......unless like medieval Christian clerics you feel that virii are demons?

Answer 9

so much misinformation here, viruses do not "respirate" and they are not capable of reproduction, they have to hijack a living cell to reproduce, they are really nothing more than errant bit's of DNA or RNA, they aren't living things

Answer 10

The entire universe is a living, breathing, constantly changing and evolving "thing".