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

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.
Yes, viruses are alive because they can reproduce.

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.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

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

Viruses do have genetic material and can reproduce, but they can only do so by infecting a host cell, which is why many scientists consider them to be on the edge of the definition of life. They cannot carry out metabolic processes on their own, which is a key characteristic of living organisms.