Is a virus alive? Use your powers of observation and organization to determine. "Things that?".
Hint: determine the characteristics of living things by making observations. Then look at the characteristics of a virus and decide wether it meats your criteria for living things.
Living Things Characteristics:
ReplyDelete-composed of one or more cells
-work together and develop to form complex series of organ systems
-have metabolism
-respond to changes in the environment through their senses
-can reproduce asexually or sexually
-take in material from the environment and use those nutrients for energy
Virus Characteristics:
-non-cellular
-no cytoplasm or organelles
-infect cells of plants and/or animals
-depend on cells from the host plant or animal for metabolism and reproduction
A virus is not a living thing primarily because it has a non-cellular form. Instead, viruses infect the cells of plants and animals, depending on their host for their metabolism and ability to reproduce because they don't carry those qualities. Therefore, viruses are not living things.
Nazia T.
MOD 3
Characteristics of Viruses
ReplyDelete1. acellular
2. can reproduce only in living cells
3. they have no metabolism
4. they depend off of a host
Characteristics of Living Things
1. reproducts sexually & asexually
2. has metabolism
3. grows by expending the energy its gets from metabolism
4. can adapt to an environment in the process of evolution.
To sum it up, no, viruses are not living things. A virus depends on a living thing. a.k.a. a host, because they can't reproduce or have metabolism on their own.
Erin V.
MOD 3
“An organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction.” This is what life is, according to Webster's Dictionary. With this, some argue that viruses are not alive. Alone, they are useless, they need a living organism, its host, to live off of. In my opinon, they are not alive, but stil, the question is pondered upon with accusation like the fact that they can be killed. How can something die without having lived? I say, they desrve a group all on its own.
ReplyDeleteIn order to be classified as living, the object must have...
ReplyDelete1. it has one or more cells
2. Has some sort of metabolism
3. Responds and adapts to enviroment
4. Reproduces sexually or asexually
A virus's characteristics are....
1. Needs a host to survive
2. non-cellular
3. Don't respond to their environment
This means viruses aren't alive. In order to survive they need a host. Viruses are dependent and if they don't have a host they won't survive. A living thing doesn't need a host to survive. Therefore, a virus is not alive.
Jess B.
MOD 7
Based on oberservations, a virus is not a living thing.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Living characteristics:
-can reproduce
-are able to adapt and develop
-has a metabolism
-are able to evolve over time
-has one or more cells
Virus characteristics:
-cannot reproduce
-vary in viral structures
-single nucliec acid
-effects living things
-depends on a host
Overall, with observations, it is obviously known that a virus is not a living thing.
For a virus does not share the same characteristics as living things do(as listed above).
Jessica P
Period. 3
In order to be classified as a livjng thing, in this case, the virus, it must have the following characteristics...
ReplyDelete-be made of one or more cells
-attain and use energy
-grow and develop
-reproduce
-respond to its environment
-adapt to environment
the characteristics of a virus are as follows...
-acellular
-reproduce
-posses RNA or DNA (not both)
-depend on host
-don't grow and divide as regular cells do
In the end, a virus is not a living thing for a few reasons. Primarily because viruses depend on their host to reproduce. Viruses are not an actual cell they are simpler. Nor do viruses adapt to their environment like living things do. Therefore a virus is not a living thing for the reasons and observations i researched.
Mimi McCabe
MOD 7
Characteristics of a living thing
ReplyDelete-made of cells
-obtain and use energy
-grow and develop
-reproduce
-respond to their environment
-adapt to their environment
Characteristics of a virus
-noncellular
-no cytoplasm or organelles
-no chromosones
-depend on cells from a host plant or animal for metabolism and reproduction
A virus is not a living thing. This is true because, simply, it depends on another substance, a.k.a. a host to survive. Without a host, it cannot reproduce or maintain life. Also, it cannot support its metabolism. A living thing has to be able to live without the support of another substance. Since viruses live off of a host, they are considered non-living.
I believe that a virus is not a living thing. In order to be classified it must meet the following criteria:
ReplyDelete*Must be made of cells
*Grow and develop
*Reproduce
*Respond and adapt to their environment
*Get and use energy
If you take a look at a virus' characteristics,you can see why a virus isn't a living thing.
A virus' characteristics:
*Needs a host cell
*Doesn't have cells
*Doesn't respond to their environment
A virus doesn't meet all the criteria of all living things,so therefore; it may not be classified as a living thing.
Katie H.
MOD:7
The characteristics of a virus is something which needs a host. A virus has no organelles. A living thing has the characteristics of reproduction, which a virus does, but it multiplies, not has young, which already excludes it from being a living thing.
ReplyDeleteHarrison MOD 3?
I do not believe a virus is a living thing. A living thing can reproduce and move without a host. A virus needs a host in order to be active. Without a host a virus is nothing, this is why I believe a virus is not a living organisim.
ReplyDeleteVince. P Mod 3
What makes a virus living? It breathes; however indirectly, it reproduces in order to sustain a population, and it has a main energy soure which when stoped makes the virus die. Compare that to us; we breathe, we reproduce in order to sustain a population, and we have a main energy source which when stopped, kills us. Bassed on those three observational criteria for a living organism, i conclude that a virus is a living thing.
ReplyDeleteIs a virus a living thing?
ReplyDeleteLiving things are classified as:
-1 or more cell
- Has a metabolism
-Can reproduce
-Can evolve over time
-One or more cell
-Responds/adapts to their surroundings
Viruses:
-Don't have cells
-Need a host to survive
-Doesn't have a metabolism
-Can only reproduce in living cells
-Doesn't respond to their surroundings
To wrap it up, no, I don't think viruses are living things. They don't have the characteristics of a living organism.
Kyle Osterman, Mod 3