Why are viruses non-living?
Aren’t cells, don’t respirate, grow, develop, reproduce with a host cell
Viruses are considered non-living because they do not have all the attributes of living organisms. Living things are characterized by certain fundamental characteristics such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli.
Unlike living organisms, viruses cannot perform metabolic functions on their own as they lack the necessary organelles or cell structures to carry out these functions. They have to rely on the metabolic machinery of the host cell to perform such functions. Additionally, viruses cannot reproduce on their own. They only replicate when they enter a host cell and hijack its cellular machinery to produce more viruses.
Another reason viruses are considered non-living is that they cannot respond to stimuli in their environment or adapt to changing conditions. They are essentially inert particles outside of a host cell and cannot perform any activities or processes independently.
In summary, viruses do not exhibit all the fundamental characteristics of living organisms and cannot survive or reproduce without a host cell. As such, they are classified as non-living entities.
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