List two ways viruses differ from living things?

Answer 1

1) Viruses do not grow, they are a certain size from the moment they are made. Just a protein coat and a set of genetic instructions.

2) Viruses do not respire they don't turn over energy at all, they hijack living cells which can turn over energy and use them to do their reproduction.

3) Viruses do not excreat waste products- they don't make any so they don't need to. Most living things make some toxic substances which must be got rid off eg carbon dioxide and urea.

4) Viruses cannot reproduce, make more of their own kind without hijacking the apparatus of a living cell.

Answer 2

Virus can reproduce and act as living organism ( only inside the host body) and it shows reaction to light and chemicals but it they cannot respire and indigest food . Some viruses can be even crystalized !

Answer 3

Viruses are not an organism at all. They are not alive. They are nonliving. They are like cockle burrs that "grab" hold of your clothing or a dog’s coat. They are hijackers. Once they get attached to the cell of a living cell, they can take it over and "make" the living cell produce virus particles instead of cell parts. These particles can assemble into more viruses and then they break out of the cell (killing it) and begin the process again. They cannot make more viruses on their own.

Answer 4

Viruses live off of living cells. Living cells have their own source of proteins and things for survival. Viruses particles are composed of protein coat, and the capsid.

Answer 5

Self replication, metabolism, nutrient uptake and excretion, are all absent in viruses

Answer 6

They are not: viruses are indeed living things!

Answer 7

There is no such thing as a living virus. All viruses are technically nonliving.

Answer 8

Viruses must reproduce using a living cell. It has to "borrow" the living cell's parts so that it can make more of itself.