Are Viruses Living Beings?

Below is an interesting video on the topic. It's 11 minutes long:

YouTube : Are Viruses Living?

Some key points:

1) Not all viruses all the same and some viruses exhibit different qualities of what's considered "living" that other viruses don't.

2) Some organisms considered "living" like certain forms of bacteria, also behave much like bacteria, needing to replicate inside of cells and also lack many of the typical traits of being alive as viruses.

3) There's no universally agreed upon definition for "living".

It all depends on what the definition of is is.

@vivify said
Below is an interesting video on the topic. It's 11 minutes long:

[youtube Are Viruses Living?]FXqmzKwBB_w[/youtube]

Some key points:

1) Not all viruses all the same and some viruses exhibit different qualities of what's considered "living" that other viruses don't.

2) Some organisms considered "living" like certain forms of bacteria, also behave much like bact ...[text shortened]... raits of being alive as viruses.

3) There's no universally agreed upon definition for "living".

I just started reading carl Zimmer's new book "life's edge" on this exact subject. It seems really good.

As I understand it viruses are not alive until they encounter a living cell which allows them to procreate.
I was taught that to be classed as "living" an object had to satisfy 4 conditions "eat,excrete,move and reproduce"
I think though, that this was probably a simplified lesson for the purpose of teaching schoolchildren

@venda said
As I understand it viruses are not alive until they encounter a living cell which allows them to procreate.
I was taught that to be classed as "living" an object had to satisfy 4 conditions "eat,excrete,move and reproduce"
I think though, that this was probably a simplified lesson for the purpose of teaching schoolchildren

What about a virus that permanently colonizes its host?

@wildgrass
Perhaps it can become a living being by the process of assimilation, (not sure if that is the correct term but.)

But viruses aren't able to replicate without their host, nor will they survive very long withut it. Thus I do not think they can be called 'alive' as they cannot survive independently.

@venda said
As I understand it viruses are not alive until they encounter a living cell which allows them to procreate.
I was taught that to be classed as "living" an object had to satisfy 4 conditions "eat,excrete,move and reproduce"
I think though, that this was probably a simplified lesson for the purpose of teaching schoolchildren

By that definition, I am not "living".
I have not procreated so far. (As far as I know.)

@mwmiller said
By that definition, I am not "living".
I have not procreated so far. (As far as I know.)

Do you have your own biological 'machinery' to allow you to replicate?

Do you have a metabolism?

@vivify said
Below is an interesting video on the topic. It's 11 minutes long:

[youtube Are Viruses Living?]FXqmzKwBB_w[/youtube]

Some key points:

1) Not all viruses all the same and some viruses exhibit different qualities of what's considered "living" that other viruses don't.

2) Some organisms considered "living" like certain forms of bacteria, also behave much like bact ...[text shortened]... raits of being alive as viruses.

3) There's no universally agreed upon definition for "living".

Anything that has a genome and evolves is a living organism. Lots of species are dependent on other species for survival. Heck, some species are dependent on forest fires for survival. Does that make the Jack Pine and Kirtland Warbler lesser species?

@danydandanum said
@wildgrass
Perhaps it can become a living being by the process of assimilation, (not sure if that is the correct term but.)

But viruses aren't able to replicate without their host, nor will they survive very long withut it. Thus I do not think they can be called 'alive' as they cannot survive independently.

Jack Pine cannot survive very long without forest fires. They are alive, right?

@metal-brain said
Jack Pine cannot survive very long without forest fires. They are alive, right?

We cannot survive very long without oxygen, what’s your point?

@kevcvs57 said
We cannot survive very long without oxygen, what’s your point?

Almost all life forms are dependent on other life forms. You have bacteria in your gut. What is it for? Can you live without it?

Many flowering life forms depend on bees and other insects for survival. Can they reproduce on their own? Same thing for fruit bats. Can the fruit they eat survive without them?

@danydandanum said
@wildgrass
Perhaps it can become a living being by the process of assimilation, (not sure if that is the correct term but.)

But viruses aren't able to replicate without their host, nor will they survive very long withut it. Thus I do not think they can be called 'alive' as they cannot survive independently.

But there are lots of things considered living that are dependent on host organisms.

What is the difference, for example, between a parasitic protozoa (e.g. malaria) and the chicken pox virus? Both are incapable of completing their life cycle without infecting a host. The only difference is, perhaps, a cell membrane.

If malaria is alive, then viruses are alive.

@mwmiller said
By that definition, I am not "living".
I have not procreated so far. (As far as I know.)

But you are capable of procreation I presume although we know some living things may not be able to due to faults within their makeup.
As I said,I think the statement was a "simplified" one for teaching schoolchildren

@venda
OK, OK, I get it. I was just making a poor attempt at humor. I forgot to add the " 🙂 ".