1) are viruses made of cells?
2) does heredity occur in viruses?
2007-11-04 03:49:12 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
No, they are not cells. They are RNA or DNA inside a protein coat. They don't have any biological functions of their own, so they aren't even considered alive (they need to hijack their host's cells in order to reproduce).
Since they contain DNA or RNA, they are subject to heredity. Their offspring will be similar to the original virus. The process is not perfect, though.
Since viruses don't have the same error-checking processes as a cell, the are very susceptible to mutation. They can also accidentally scoop up host DNA into their protein coat when they are being assembled inside a host cell. However, only tiny amounts of host DNA could make it in, and the virus still wouldn't have the machinery for cellular functions, so there is no danger of a virus suddenly becoming alive, or some sort of virus/cell hybrid.
Since their error-checking is imperfect, they tend to mutate a lot. That's why there are so many varieties of the flu, and why the Bird Flu could potentially jump from birds to humans. It is a form of heredity, though not as strict and linear as you'd see in animals, plants, or even bacteria.
2007-11-04 06:12:01 · answer #1 · answered by andymanec 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a million. Immune procedure, reticuloendothelial procedure, lymphatic procedure (I'm now not definite on quantity a million.) two. Endocrine procedure (pituitary gland (grasp gland) governs the opposite endocrine glands.....this procedure services to keep homeostasis...the apprehensive procedure is a secondary participant on this). three. Epithelial tissue four. Joint or articulation five. Melanoma and pterygium
2016-09-05 10:01:30 · answer #2 · answered by labove 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no
no
viruses are just a DNA or RNA that have a protein coat around it
2007-11-04 03:59:04 · answer #3 · answered by farzy_sh 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋