Most biologists say no. 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.
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Aug 8, 2008 · But viruses directly exchange genetic information with living organisms—that is, within the web of life itself. A possible surprise to most ...
Mar 7, 2016 · Indeed, viruses can be viewed as not belonging to the category of living beings because they are incapable of autonomous reproduction and ...
May 10, 2016 · In the absence of their host, viruses are unable to replicate and many are unable to survive for long in the extracellular environment.
Feb 23, 2024 · Although there is no definitive resolution to the question of whether viruses can be considered living entities, their ability to pass on ...
Scientists are not sure whether viruses are living or non-living. In general, scientists use a list of criteria to determine if something is alive.
Viruses seem to be more than more than just simple, inert bundles of genetic material – but do they count as living organisms?
Therefore, viruses are obligate intracellular parasites. According to a stringent definition of life, they are nonliving. Not everyone, though, necessarily ...
Sep 25, 2015 · Some scientists have argued that viruses are nonliving entities, bits of DNA and RNA shed by cellular life. They point to the fact that viruses ...
Mar 27, 2020 · Viruses are remarkably diverse. Some have RNA genomes, some have DNA genomes. Others have single-stranded genomes, and some have ...