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

Question

Responses

Yes, viruses are alive because they have genetic material.
Yes, viruses are alive because they have genetic material.

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

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

Yes, viruses are alive because they can reproduce.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

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

Viruses possess genetic material and can reproduce, but they cannot do so independently; they require a host cell to replicate. This dependence on a host is one of the key reasons they are not considered fully alive by many biologists.