Question

Consider a virus composed of a protein coat surrounding a small segment of genetic material (either DNA or RNA). Viruses cannot reproduce without taking over the genetic machinery of their host cell. Based on this description and biologists’ definition of life, should a virus be a living organism? Defend your answer.

Answer 1

Virus can be simply defined as the enveloped or covered genome. Genome may be RNA or DNA. However viruses are difficult to be categorised as living or non living. But strictly to the biological definition of life, viruses are non living. Because a life form must have organised structure, information in genome (biomoleculea like RNA or DNA), Self sustaining ( capable of self replicating by using its own machinery). So, the characterstics of living beings are to grow, to respond to stimuli and to metabolize. Viruses may have genomes in the form of DNA or RNA, can have organised structure (protein covering the genome') but they need a replication machinery of host to replicate or increase its numbers. We can say that they are not self sustaining. So, viruses are not alive.