Viruses... are they living things or not?

Question

please support your answer... thanks =)

Answer 1

It depends on their state of being...outside or inside a host. They appear to be dead when they are not attached to a host but when they find one, they appear to "come alive" and make that body very ill.

Sandy :O)

Answer 2

I hate it when people give answers with completely wrong information. ALL viruses have genetic material. How else are they made. They just don't have the "machinery" to transcribe it. Thats why they depend on living things. One thing that viruses don't do that every other living thing does is metabolism. It is true though that the label of life on viruses is debated. Mostly because the definition of life is not set in stone.

Answer 3

it depends on your definition of life, naturally.

life should have at least the capabilities of replication, metabolism and independent agency. viruses usually rely on cells for metabolism and because of this some would say they are not really alive. however the same could be said, to some extent, of any organism that isn't at the bottom of the food chain in its ecosystem. it seems a little strange to think that viruses are capable of evolving but are not alive...

it's probably one of those questions where any answer can be right as long as you argue it with some conviction!

Answer 4

I'd have to say Yes. Because they may be inactive w/o a host, but once their inside one they become parasitical and begin to show lots of signs of life. I don't think it's proven wheter they are living or non living. I think they're still researching. Sorry if my support's too short, but I'm still studying about things like that.

Answer 5

it is still a controversy as the viruses do not have a genetic material of their own as in other cells. when they are free in the environment they show the characteristics of non living and when inside a host they take over the cell machinery and use it to multiply(here they act as lliving)

Answer 6

If you think Cell Theory (All living things are composed of cells and cell products....), then viruses could not be considered living. They don't have all the cell components and have to borrow the metabolic machinery of cells to reproduce etc.

Answer 7

They have no function other than reproduction so in that respect they are living because non-living things cannot reproduce. However, it seems that they sense absolutely nothing because they have no nucleus or organelles, only enough DNA to support reproduction. No way to percieve any type of sensation, so, all though they are living, they are in no way, or, have the least ability of all living things to sense that they are.

Answer 8

Yes, they are living.
They contain the same genetic material as us, DNA or RNA. They reproduce, albeit with other cells' material, they are subject to the stresses of natural selection, they can infect other organisms, and have adapted via mutation to increase their chances of passing on genetic material.

There are even simpler forms of "life" called prions, which also cause diseases suvh as Mad Cow Disease. Scientists are also divided as to whether these are living.

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Answer 9

They are not living, they are SURVIVING organisms put on a 'hold'.
Think about it: Without their host they don't/can't reproduce, which is the main action of a living cell/organism. If a cell can't divide itself in order to keep its existence to the world, it's not living at all. Even prime bacteria divide and reproduce themselves!

Answer 10

they are known as biological puzzle.they are both living and non living.when they are inside the body of a living thing then they are known to be living organisms and when they are outside the body they are known to be non living.