1. A student claims that viruses are alive because they have genetic material and can reproduce. Is this student's claim correct?

Question

No, viruses are not alive because they rely on a host organism to be able to reproduce

Yes, viruses are alive because they can reproduce

Yes, viruses are alive because they have genetic material.

No, viruses are not alive because they do not have genetic material nor can they reproduce.

2. Of the five characteristics of living things, which one is required for the species to survive but does not have to apply to an individual?

response to the environment

use of energy to function

growth and change over a life cycle

Reproduction

Answer 1

1. The correct answer is: No, viruses are not alive because they rely on a host organism to be able to reproduce. While viruses do have genetic material and can reproduce, they can only do so by infecting a host cell, which does not meet the criteria for being considered alive by most biological definitions.

2. The characteristic required for the species to survive but does not have to apply to an individual is: Reproduction. While individual organisms do not need to reproduce for their own survival, the ability to reproduce is essential for the survival of the species as a whole.