EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Still, viruses have some important features in common with cell-based life. For instance, they have nucleic acid genomes based on the same genetic code that’s used in your cells (and the cells of all living creatures). Also, like cell-based life, viruses have genetic variation and can evolve.

Detailed explanation-2: -Cells have a double stranded DNA molecule and many strands of single stranded RNA as the copies. Viruses, however, can have double stranded DNA, single stranded DNA, double stranded RNA, or single stranded RNA. They convert RNA to DNA and then back to RNA to make proteins, which does not happen inside cells.

Detailed explanation-3: -Viruses cannot replicate on their own, but rather depend on their host cell’s protein synthesis pathways to reproduce. This typically occurs by the virus inserting its genetic material in host cells, co-opting the proteins to create viral replicates, until the cell bursts from the high volume of new viral particles.

Detailed explanation-4: -Viruses and cells have one structure in common, nucleic acids.

Detailed explanation-5: -Viruses contain either RNA or DNA as their genetic material. DNA in most organisms is a double-stranded structure, based on Watson and Crick pairing; however, in viruses, DNA and RNA can be either single-stranded or double-stranded.