Is a virus considered a living thing?

Answer 1

The question of whether a virus is considered a living thing is a matter of debate among biologists and scientists. Viruses are infectious agents that rely on host cells to reproduce and cannot replicate on their own. They consist of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat, but they lack essential characteristics of living organisms, such as the ability to grow, metabolize, or respond to the environment.

Viruses also do not have cells or cellular machinery, and they cannot carry out biological functions independently. They are often described as "obligate intracellular parasites" since they need a host cell to replicate and cause infection.

Some argue that viruses do not exhibit enough of the criteria required to define something as living, while others consider them as quasi-living entities. Overall, the classification of viruses as living or non-living is still a topic of scientific discussion and interpretation.