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For all practical purposes, viruses are not considered to be alive. The cells and organisms they infect are considered to be alive. This is because viruses are just a piece of DNA in a protein shell. Without a host they cannot reproduce or even function. In fact when one is outside a cell, let's say just floating in the air they are called virions and are in a sort of catatonic state. It isn't until they make contact with another living thing that they do really anything whatsoever. So in a nutshell, most academic circles do not believe they can technically be alive since they reproduce so bizarrely, they don't have the right anatomy, and they just don't do enough.

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14y ago

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No, viruses do not belong to any of the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya). They are considered acellular entities that require a host cell to replicate.

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11mo ago
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Q: Do viruses belong to one of the domains of life?
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