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Viruses do not have all of the characteristics of living things. They consist of a protein coat which contains either DNA or RNA. They are not made of cells. They have no cellular structures. They do not require nutrients. They do not have metabolism. They do not grow or develop. They do not reproduce on their own. They must high-jack a living cell, inject it's genetic material, which then takes over the host cell which then becomes a virus factory. Eventually the cell becomes so full of replicated viruses that they burst, releasing the viruses so they can go on to attack other cells.
A virus is not considered a living thing because it can't live on its own and has to rely on another animals cells to reproduce. A living organism technically has to be able to survive and reproduce on their own without help from other organisms. They don't use their own energy to grow, make food, take food, or produce waste.
Viruses are not considered living organisms because they are not composed of cells (the Cellular Theory of Life). Also, viruses cannot replicate independently - they must infect a living cell before their structure and genetic material can be reproduced and multiplied.

However, there is a vigorous ongoing debate about whether or not viruses are living - they do have discrete genetic material that is transmitted from "parent" to "offspring", they can react to the environment by changing what proteins they are expressing and some viruses are extremely complex.
One of the main reasons viruses are considered non living is because they cannot replicate by themselves. In order to replicate they must find a host cell and inject DNA into the host cell which disrupts the host cell's normal processes by causing it to make copies of the virus instead of carrying out all its normal processes. Once the viruses have been created inside the host cell, the host cell bursts to release the viruses. This is the same reason it is considered parasitic, since it uses the host cell for its benefit and damages or kills the host cell in the process.

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9y ago
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4mo ago

Viruses lack the key characteristics of living organisms, such as the ability to replicate on their own, grow, and metabolize. They require a host cell to reproduce and are not capable of carrying out cellular processes independently. Therefore, they are considered biological entities rather than living organisms.

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15y ago

There are seven characteristics of life (look that up on this website, you'll find them) A virus depends on a host to survive, meaning it can't reproduce without the host. An "organism" that can't reproduce is not an organism and is not alive.

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14y ago

Viruses lack some features that are considered typical of living beings. While they can reproduce, they don't move, they have no metabolism, and their reproduction is carried out by the host cell, not by themselves. When they are not in the process of infecting a cell, they are inert like any crystal.

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11y ago

They are not considered to be living because they do not have metabolism and they do not replicate outside of the host cell.

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13y ago

Viruses have no metabolic processes and are therefore not

considered living.

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12y ago

because they show characteristics of an living organism only when they enter the host body. out side the host body they are present as crystals.....

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6y ago

Viruses are not considered alive because they dont have many of the charaistics that scientists have with living things

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Q: Why are viruses not considered living things?
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Related questions

Viruses do not contradict the idea that all living things are made of cells because?

viruses are not considered to be living organisms as they lack the cellular structure and cannot carry out cellular functions on their own. They can only replicate by hijacking the machinery of living cells. Therefore, viruses do not challenge the concept that all living things are made of cells.


Is a nonliving particles that causes disease?

Viruses are considered to be non-living things, and are capable of causing disease. The reason viruses are not considered living is because they lack many of the characteristics of life until they infect a host cell.


What is a nonliving particle that causes a disease?

Viruses are considered to be non-living things, and are capable of causing disease. The reason viruses are not considered living is because they lack many of the characteristics of life until they infect a host cell.


Do some non living things have characteristics of living things?

Yes, some non-living things, like viruses, exhibit characteristics of living things such as replication and evolution. However, they are considered non-living because they cannot carry out these processes on their own and require a host cell to reproduce.


Are all organisms living things?

Yes **G1N4** I thought some living things are not organisms, because they are not free living.


Why can't we classify a virus as a living thing?

A virus lacks key characteristics of living organisms, such as the ability to reproduce on its own and the presence of cellular structure. Viruses are considered as biological entities that require a host cell to replicate and carry out their functions. This dependency on a host cell is a key reason why viruses are not classified as living things.


Why don't scientist classify virus as living things?

Scientists do not classify viruses as living things because they lack key characteristics of living organisms, such as the ability to reproduce and carry out metabolic processes on their own. Viruses are considered biological entities that require a host cell to replicate.


Are bacteria and viruses living things?

Bacteria are considered living things because they can carry out basic life functions such as reproduction and metabolism. Viruses, on the other hand, are not considered living things because they cannot reproduce independently and require a host cell to do so.


Are viruses Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic?

Viruses are not considered to be either prokaryotic or eukaryotic because they lack the cellular machinery necessary to carry out essential life processes on their own. Instead, they are considered to be acellular entities that require a host cell to replicate and carry out their life cycle.


Viruses depend on living things for what?

Viruses depend on living cells because they reproduce inside of them.


What is the mode of nutrition in viruses?

parasitic mode of nutrition


Do all living things have cells?

No, not all living things have cells. While all living things are made up of cells, some organisms like viruses are considered living but do not have cells. Instead, viruses are composed of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat.