Question

A science student argues that viruses are not alive. To provide the strongest support for this argument, which statement should the student cite?

Answer 1

The student should cite the statement that "viruses cannot reproduce independently and require a host cell to replicate." This is a key characteristic that distinguishes living organisms from non-living entities. Living organisms can reproduce on their own, while viruses rely on hijacking the cellular machinery of a host to make copies of themselves, which supports the argument that they are not considered truly alive.