EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Viruses do not have cells. They have a protein coat that protects their genetic material (either DNA or RNA). But they do not have a cell membrane or other organelles (for example, ribosomes or mitochondria) that cells have. Living things reproduce.

Detailed explanation-2: -Viruses are not made out of cells, they can’t keep themselves in a stable state, they don’t grow, and they can’t make their own energy. Even though they definitely replicate and adapt to their environment, viruses are more like androids than real living organisms.

Detailed explanation-3: -Because they can’t reproduce by themselves (without a host), viruses are not considered living. Nor do viruses have cells: they’re very small, much smaller than the cells of living things, and are basically just packages of nucleic acid and protein.

Detailed explanation-4: -The ability to reproduce is a living characteristic that is observed in viruses. Viruses use the cellular components of the host cell which it infects to reproduce. A genetic material is present inside the viruses like other living organisms.

Detailed explanation-5: -Viruses are considered to be nonliving. How are they similar to living organisms, and how are they different? Viruses resemble organisms because they can multiply. They are different because they are not alive: they are not cells, they do not use their own energy to grow or respond to their surroundings.