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Viruses are not living things. Viruses are complicated assemblies of molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, but on their own they can do nothing until they enter a living cell. Without cells, viruses would not be able to multiply. Therefore, viruses are not living things.

Viruses are considered as something between living and non-living because they do not grow or reproduce by themselves. This makes them non-living. However, when a virus enters a living cell of an organism, it obtains energy from the host cell and starts reproducing.

The viral life cycle can be divided into several major stages: attachment, entry, uncoating, replication, maturation, and release.

Viruses are small obligate intracellular parasites, which by definition contain either a RNA or DNA genome surrounded by a protective, virus-coded protein coat. Viruses may be viewed as mobile genetic elements, most probably of cellular origin and characterized by a long co-evolution of virus and host.

They can mutate. They are acellular, that is, they contain no cytoplasm or cellular organelles. They carry out no metabolism on their own and must replicate using the host cell's metabolic machinery. In other words, viruses don't grow and divide. ... The vast majority of viruses possess either DNA or RNA but not both.

(VY-rus) In medicine, a very simple microorganism that infects cells and may cause disease.

Indeed, viruses can be viewed as not belonging to the category of living beings because they are incapable of autonomous reproduction and extracellular virions are in a dormant (inert) state.

The answer is, NO. Viruses meet some but, not all of the characteristics of living things. Therefore, many biologists do not classify viruses as living things.

Viruses are not made out of cells, they can't keep themselves in a stable state, they don't grow, and they can't make their own energy. Even though they definitely replicate and adapt to their environment, viruses are more like androids than real living organisms.

Characteristics of a Virus: They reproduce at a spectacular rate, but only in live host cells. They can be transformed. They are acellular, i.e., they have no cytoplasm or cellular organelles. They do not conduct any metabolism on their own and must replicate using the metabolic machinery of the host cell.

Viruses are not living things. Viruses are complicated assemblies of molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates, but on their own they can do nothing until they enter a living cell. Without cells, viruses would not be able to multiply. Therefore, viruses are not living things.

Viruses are considered as something between living and non-living because they do not grow or reproduce by themselves. This makes them non-living. However, when a virus enters a living cell of an organism, it obtains energy from the host cell and starts reproducing.

The viral life cycle can be divided into several major stages: attachment, entry, uncoating, replication, maturation, and release.

Viruses are small obligate intracellular parasites, which by definition contain either a RNA or DNA genome surrounded by a protective, virus-coded protein coat. Viruses may be viewed as mobile genetic elements, most probably of cellular origin and characterized by a long co-evolution of virus and host.

They can mutate. They are acellular, that is, they contain no cytoplasm or cellular organelles. They carry out no metabolism on their own and must replicate using the host cell's metabolic machinery. In other words, viruses don't grow and divide. ... The vast majority of viruses possess either DNA or RNA but not both.

(VY-rus) In medicine, a very simple microorganism that infects cells and may cause disease.

Indeed, viruses can be viewed as not belonging to the category of living beings because they are incapable of autonomous reproduction and extracellular virions are in a dormant (inert) state.

The answer is, NO. Viruses meet some but, not all of the characteristics of living things. Therefore, many biologists do not classify viruses as living things.

Viruses are not made out of cells, they can't keep themselves in a stable state, they don't grow, and they can't make their own energy. Even though they definitely replicate and adapt to their environment, viruses are more like androids than real living organisms.

Characteristics of a Virus: They reproduce at a spectacular rate, but only in live host cells. They can be transformed. They are acellular, i.e., they have no cytoplasm or cellular organelles. They do not conduct any metabolism on their own and must replicate using the metabolic machinery of the host cell.