It has DNA (or some sort of RNA), it can adapts to its environment (evolve), it can reproduce (not on it's own, but non-the-less it can). It even has protien (only one, but it's still there).
I don't understand why we don't consider viruses living.
2006-12-06 03:12:38 · 3 answers · asked by mikzilla0 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Viruses can be crystallized and kept as such for years without any metabolic activity.A living being is autonomous as far as formation of its own protein is concerned. A virus has to borrow host cell's protein synthesis machinery.Once the virus leaves the cell it does not respire and do other functions characteristic of a living being or cell.
2006-12-06 03:41:48 · answer #1 · answered by Ishan26 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A virus exihibits some characteristics of a living thing in that it reproduces in kind. It can only do so however by invading a live cell and incorporating its DNA with that of the host. It is different from living cells however in that it has no cellular characteristics and has no metabolic processes. Most biologist therefore consider the virus as non living material.
2006-12-06 11:25:43 · answer #2 · answered by Agalyah K 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry. Your question is wrong. The viruses show living & non- living conditions. They grow & reproduce inside living cells where they occur. They can be mutated. These features point out the living nature of viruses.
2006-12-06 11:36:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋