Why do viruses need living hosts, such as bacteria or eukaryote cells?

A. The host cell is the source of food for the virus
B. Viruses depend on a host cell because they lack their own dna or rna
C. Viruses depend on the host cells that they infect to reproduce/replicate
D. Viruses have a cellular structure which never requires a host

1 answer

The correct answer is:

C. Viruses depend on the host cells that they infect to reproduce/replicate.

Viruses are not considered living organisms because they cannot carry out metabolic processes or reproduce on their own. They require a living host cell to replicate and produce new viral particles.