When a virus mutates, it demonstrates the trait of adaptation, which is one of the characteristics of living things. Adaptation occurs as organisms respond to changes in their environment, and in the case of viruses, mutations can enhance their ability to survive and replicate in a host, especially under selective pressures such as the host's immune response or antiviral treatments.
However, it's important to clarify that viruses are often considered to be at the edge of living and non-living entities. They exhibit some traits of living organisms—such as the ability to reproduce (though only within a host cell) and evolve through mutation—but they do not possess the full suite of characteristics of living things, such as cellular structure or metabolism. Therefore, while a virus can show adaptation through mutation, its classification as a living thing is nuanced.
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