answersLogoWhite

0

Some people argue that viruses are not alive because they lack any form of energy, carbon metabolism, and they canâ??t replicate or evolve. Therefore, they do not exhibit the same set of characteristics of all living things.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Biology
Related Questions

Viruses are not considered alive because they lack which of the following what?

metabolism


Virusers are not considered alives because they lack what?

Viruses are not considered alive because they lack the ability to reproduce unless they have a host to reproduce for them. When viruses are not attache to a living cell they lose all living characteristics.


Why do people sometimes say that viruses lack independent replication?

Viruses can not replicate without a living host cell. This is one reason that they are not considered to be alive.


What living things do not have cells?

Viruses are the only living things that do not have cells. They are considered acellular because they consist of genetic material surrounded by a protein coat but lack the structures found in cells, such as organelles.


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.


Why do scientists debate whether viruses are alive?

Scientists debate whether viruses are alive because they lack the characteristics of traditional living organisms, such as the ability to reproduce on their own. Viruses depend on host cells to replicate and lack cellular structures that define life. Some argue that viruses are on the edge of life, while others consider them more as biological entities.


Why arent virises classified into a kingdom?

Viruses are not classified into any of the kingdoms because they cannot live outside of a host cell (they depend on the host cell's DNA to reproduce and undergo metabolic reactions within it).


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.


What do viruses have to support the idea that they are alive?

Viruses lack the cellular machinery for metabolism and reproduction on their own, which are key characteristics of living organisms. They can only replicate by hijacking host cells. Therefore, viruses are considered more like particles than living organisms.


Are red blood cells considered to be alive?

No, red blood cells are not considered to be alive because they lack a nucleus and other organelles typically found in living cells.


Why is there is debate about the viruses being alive or dead?

The debate is not about whether viruses are alive or dead. Rather, there is debate about whether a virus should be considered a living thing. Viruses are not like living cells, because they do not have metabolic processes, and they cannot reproduce themselves. Instead, they invade a host cell, and the virus's genes cause the host cell to produce new viruses. However, the question of whether this "counts" as being alive is a semantic one. Viruses have some properties of living things, and they lack other properties, so the question of whether they are "alive" comes down to one's definition of the word "life."


Is a nonliving particles that causes disease?

Viruses are considered to be non-living things, and are capable of causing disease. The reason viruses are not considered living is because they lack many of the characteristics of life until they infect a host cell.