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The simple answer to this question is "no", but as usual in medicine, there are no simple answers.
First, we must understand that viruses are not "alive" in any traditional sense. They are basically little packages of DNA or RNA (the instruction codes for life) that require a host cell to be able to begin behaving in a life-like way (producing proteins and exerting influence on the world around them). So in this sense, a virus most definitely needs a host to truly live.
Perhaps a better question (or at least a different one) might be "does a virus necessarily need a host to survive"? The answer to this question is a fairly definite "no". Some viruses outside the body can survive for hours, even days, on inanimate objects, waiting for another host to pick them up and become infected with them. This is the case with Rhinovirus, a common cause of the common cold.
On the other hand, some viruses (like HIV) can survive only a very short time outside their human hosts - sometimes only seconds or minutes.
So in conclusion, a virus definitely requires a host to carry out its life mission of reproducing itself and producing disease, but does not require a host (necessarily) to survive.
What else can I help you with?
Why are viruses hard to cultivate in the laboratory?
Viruses are hard to cultivate in the laboratory because they require living host cells to replicate. This dependency on living cells makes it challenging to maintain viruses outside of a host organism. Additionally, viruses can be very specific about the types of cells they can infect, which further complicates the cultivation process.
True or false viruses are smaller than bacterial cells?
True. Viruses are smaller than bacterial cells. Bacterial cells are living organisms and are much larger in size compared to viruses, which are non-living particles that require a host cell to replicate.
What infectious agent live only by invading cells?
Viruses are infectious agents that can only replicate and survive by invading host cells and hijacking their cellular machinery. Once inside a host cell, viruses use the cell's resources to produce more viral particles, which can then go on to infect other cells. This process ultimately leads to the destruction of the host cell as new viruses are released to infect additional cells.
Viruses do not contradict the idea that all living things are made of cells because?
viruses are not considered to be living organisms as they lack the cellular structure and cannot carry out cellular functions on their own. They can only replicate by hijacking the machinery of living cells. Therefore, viruses do not challenge the concept that all living things are made of cells.
Do viruses make waste?
Viruses do not produce waste because they lack metabolic processes to generate waste products. Viruses are not considered living organisms and depend on host cells to replicate and multiply.
Why can bacteria be grown in a petri-dish but not possible for viruses?
Viruses need host cells to replicate and this cannot be done by growing them like bacteria cells are grown.
Viruses can reproduce only inside what?
host cells!
Is there a difference with viruses and cells?
Yes there is a difference. Viruses are non-living and cells are living This is because Viruses can't reproduce on their own without a host. They don't have a metabolism like cells. They can't maintain homeostasis. They cannot synthesize proteins (they lack the ribosomes to do so) without a host. Without a host viruses can neither generate nor store ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Viruses cannot live unless they have a host.
Are viruses living cells?
No, they are not alive at all.
Why are viruses hard to cultivate in the laboratory?
Viruses are hard to cultivate in the laboratory because they require living host cells to replicate. This dependency on living cells makes it challenging to maintain viruses outside of a host organism. Additionally, viruses can be very specific about the types of cells they can infect, which further complicates the cultivation process.
True or false viruses are smaller than bacterial cells?
True. Viruses are smaller than bacterial cells. Bacterial cells are living organisms and are much larger in size compared to viruses, which are non-living particles that require a host cell to replicate.
What infectious agent live only by invading cells?
Viruses are infectious agents that can only replicate and survive by invading host cells and hijacking their cellular machinery. Once inside a host cell, viruses use the cell's resources to produce more viral particles, which can then go on to infect other cells. This process ultimately leads to the destruction of the host cell as new viruses are released to infect additional cells.
Do both cells and viruses have genetic material?
Viruses do not contain DNA or RNA . . . they 'steal' those molecules from their host living cell.
How viruses use the cells of living organisms to reproduce. What is the type of cell used by the virus called?
host
Why are viruses called obligate parasite?
Because they absolutely require living host cells in order to multiply
ARE Viruses are a type of cell?
The type of cells that viruses live in are host cells. Viruses need host cells in order to reproduce or multiply.
What could you use to grow a virus on?
Due to their nature obligate intracellular parasites viruses cannot be grown in standard culture media, they must be grown on living cells or in multi- celled organisms. Various methods by which host cells may be maintained to support virus growth include- 1) Solid mediums - plaque assay-mixing cells and virus using pour plate or soft agar overlay method. 2) Growth in liquid culture- by mixing together host and viral cells 3) Growth in tissue culture - cells from plants or animals may be grown 'in vitro' often in flasks on a plastic substrate 4) grown in host organism -viruses which normally infect plants or animals or bacteria can be grown simply by infecting the living host 5) Embryonated eggs - fertilized and growing eggs usually from chickens make an excellent cheap 'in situ' growth chambers
