Replication of self using materials and energy of the invaded living cell ("reproduction"), along with viral mutations.
A virus is a particle that can carry out some life processes, such as reproduction and evolution, but requires a host cell to carry out metabolic processes. Viruses are considered obligate intracellular parasites and cannot replicate on their own.
Viruses lack the basic characteristics of living organisms, such as the ability to reproduce on their own or carry out metabolic processes. They can only replicate inside a host cell by hijacking the cell's machinery, which is why they are typically classified as non-living.
No, viruses cannot carry out all life processes on their own as they lack cellular machinery for functions like metabolism and reproduction. Viruses require a host cell to replicate and express their genetic material.
Because a virus is not a living cell. It consists of an outer coat of protein surrounding a core of DNA or RNA. A virus can reproduce while it is inside a living host cell, but outside the host organism, it shows no sign of life. As such, viruses are not included in any of the six kingdoms of living things.
The smallest living unit is a cell. Cells are the basic structural and functional units of life, containing all the necessary components to carry out essential biological processes.
The influenza virus is not living any more than other viruses. It has no life processes.
The smallest living unit that can carry on life processes is a cell. Cells are considered the basic unit of life and are capable of performing all the necessary functions to sustain life.
Cell
A cell is the smallest part of a living thing that can carry out life processes.
The smallest unit of a living thing that can perform all life processes is a cell. Cells are the basic structural and functional units of all living organisms. They can carry out essential functions such as growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
Viruses are not alive in any sense and have no living characteristics. They are hijackers of living cells. Their DNA (or RNA) take over the cell nucleus and instead of making cell parts, the cell now makes virus parts. These parts are assembled (like building a Lego model) and when the cell is full, the cell membrane breaks, the cells dies and the viruses escape and highjack other cells. Viruses do not breathe, eat, digest, and do not have any life processes.
cell
Cell membrane
A virus is a particle that can carry out some life processes, such as reproduction and evolution, but requires a host cell to carry out metabolic processes. Viruses are considered obligate intracellular parasites and cannot replicate on their own.
The chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life.
Viruses cannot survive in the absence of a living cell. In order to carry out its life cycle a virus has to infect a living cell and utilize its machineries like a parasite. [Some more explanation: Viruses cannot actually be categorized as living or non-living. They are obligate parasites which remain dormant outside their host (basically a living cell) like a non-living thing, but becomes active and starts to reproduce (like a living organism) once it infects a living cell. Although a virus has a simple structure, one cannot call it a simple organism. It manipulates the highly advanced and complicated cellular processes of its multicellular host, circumvents the host machinery to work for its replication and pathogenesis while evading the host immune responses.]
An organism is living. It can survive on its own with appropriate needs, such as nutrition. A virus is not truly living or non-living. It can not live on its own, but will not die on its own either. A virus is nucleic acids encased in a protein shell. It order to live, it must enter a cell, and take it over.