Are Viruses Alive?

Cell structure: no

don’t have organelles so no cells so no cell structure

Response-no

don’t have sensory receptors

Growth-no

don’t have cells so can’t grow and aren’t able to use energy for growing

Metabolism-no

no cells so no chem reactions in cells instead they hijack host cell and use their metabolism

Homeostasis-no

lacks cellular structure and viruses are so small they don’t have an inside to maintain

Reproduction-no/unclear

don’t reproduce but uses cell host

entry-gets in

hijack-infects

replicate-duplicates

assembly-formed

release-releases (e.g. cells die and viruses are released from membrane)

Energy-no; unclear

cell host uses its energy so no

also viruses aren’t eating your body even though they are damaging it

Evolution-yes

evolves through genetic mutation; the mutations create new strands through natural selection (e.g. covid beta, omicron, etc.)