Are viruses alive?
Viruses use other cells to reproduce. They eat the host cell after stopping regular growth of the cell or bacterium, and reproduce mainly by stopping cell production and injecting their own DNA into the cell to make more of that virus. Then the host cell is eaten or used for other purposes, and the new 'baby' viuses lie dormant until coming into contact with another host cell.
Alive
Side Score: 19
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Not Alive
Side Score: 21
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Strictly speaking, don't all organisms that reproduce sexually rely on the bodily functions of another organism to reproduce? I understand if an exception can be made when the other organism is of the same species. But what about organisms in a symbiotic relationship with another species, that won't survive to sexual maturity without that other organisms assistance? I consider the 'independently reproducing' criterion to be a grey area because of this. Side: Alive
There are 7 basic characteristics of life, and in order to be living you have to have all of these. 1. You must be composed of cells. Yes i'm pretty sure they are. 2. Living things are organized. OK so they are organized. 3. They must use energy (metabolism). Viruses don't have any source of energy. 4. They must maintain homeostasis (to maintain a stable internal environment, like temperature, water content & energy levels.). I don't think that viruses have a water content or energy levels. 5. They must grow & develop. I think that that one we will say OK it is. 6. reproduce & pass on traits onto offspring. They do not reproduce they simply multiply. And besides the multiplicative viruses are merely copies. 7. And they must evolve. Viruses don't evolve, evolution means to adapt to your environment & viruses don't adapt. So there for viruses are not alive for they do not have all of the 7 characteristics. Side: Not Alive
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1. You must be composed of cells. Yes i'm pretty sure they are. Viruses are not composed of cells. They're basically a layer of protein containing genetic material, for the most part. They don't have any of the organelles that we associated with cells, and their outer layer is quite different from the cell membranes of most. 2. Living things are organized. OK so they are organized. This IS criteria 1. You must be missing something somewhere; 'Organization' in this context means being composed of one or more cells. 5. They must grow & develop. I think that that one we will say OK it is. Viruses do not grow and develop; they are assembled in their 'permanent' state by the mechanisms of the cells they invade. 6. reproduce & pass on traits onto offspring. They do not reproduce they simply multiply. And besides the multiplicative viruses are merely copies. Multiplying is reproduction. There are numerous species that reproduce asexually simply by cloning- these also produce copies. Random mutations can still occur to differentiate individuals. More to the point- if we're excluding these from consideration as life, by the same logic we must exclude the majority of species within three of the five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, and Fungi. We must also exclude numerous species within Animalia and Plantae as well. 7. And they must evolve. Viruses don't evolve, evolution means to adapt to your environment & viruses don't adapt. So there for viruses are not alive for they do not have all of the 7 characteristics. Numerous strains of viruses that have evolved resistance to medications and the immune responses of their hosts would like a word with you. Side: Alive
Viruses straddle the very definition of life. They lie between supra molecular complexes and very simple biological structures. In other words, they are a simple form of life that do use other cells to reproduce, but can well be proven that a virus cell needs the structures of life to survive like any other cell. Infection of a cell results in death, in which the virus has succeeded in producing more of its kind to survive. The actual definition of living is the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally. Side: Alive
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Viruses are alive because they have a genetic code... they contain DNA and with the help of a host cell can pass down their code. It cannot obtain its own energy but it can use the host's energy to create more viruses, at this point the cell would be overloaded with viruses and eventually burst. Viruses have the ability to evolve over time into something stronger or weaker over a long period of time. If it can use energy and be a moving organism capable of producing young (with some help!), then it has to be a living creature. Side: Alive
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It varies, depending on type. Some are, some aren't. Debate over, time to get drunk Side: Not Alive
It is a scientific fact that viruses are not alive, they are almost dormant. They don't move themselves through our system they somehow get into us, whether we eat something bad, or we get sneezed on. However they get into us they are then almost pushed through our system by either blood flow or stay in one place. They then multiply (just because they multiply doesn't mean they are alive or reproducing!!) & spread through the system. Side: Not Alive
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There are 7 basic characteristics of life, and in order to be living you have to have all of these. 1. You must be composed of cells. Yes i'm pretty sure they are. 2. Living things are organized. OK so they are organized. 3. They must use energy (metabolism). Viruses don't have any source of energy. 4. They must maintain homeostasis (to maintain a stable internal environment, like temperature, water content & energy levels.). I don't think that viruses have a water content or energy levels. 5. They must grow & develop. I think that that one we will say OK it is. 6. reproduce & pass on traits onto offspring. They do not reproduce they simply multiply. And besides the multiplicative viruses are merely copies. 7. And they must evolve. Viruses don't evolve, evolution means to adapt to your environment & viruses don't adapt. So there for viruses are not alive for they do not have all of the 7 characteristics. Side: Not Alive
7 characteristics of life: 1) Composed of cells: viruses are not cells. They are just DNA or RNA surrounded by a coating of proteins and sometimes a membrane. 2) Living things have different levels of organization: viruses have DNA/RNA, a protein shell, and sometimes a membrane. 3) Living things use energy: no. Viruses let other organisms transport them and when they enter a cell, their DNA or RNA inserts itself into the cell's DNA without using energy. 4) Living things respond to their environment: viruses don't do this. Like I said in number 3, they let other organisms transport them and then they naturally let their DNA or RNA infect another cell. 5) Living things grow: viruses stay the same for their whole existence. 6) Living things reproduce: this is debatable. Viruses infect a cell and force that cell to create copies of them. 7) Individuals adapt to their environment: yes, viruses evolve. Side: Not Alive
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Not according to the generally accepted criteria for life. It should be noted, however, that those generally accepted criteria for life are not universally accepted- there is a minority that dissents to the criteria as listed, further divided in the reasons why they object and what criteria (if any) they would offer as an alternative. It should be noted that the generally accepted criteria for life supports the stance that human life begins at conception, although this is not the same as saying that the fertilized egg is a person. This is one of the reasons for dissent to the criteria. Another is the fact that there are some who consider viruses to be alive, and cannot accept criteria that would exclude them. Side: Not Alive
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