Viruses considered to be alive?

Question

Viruses are small, infectious particles. Outside a living cell they can be stored just like chemical substances can be stored. Viruses can reproduce, but only inside a living cell. They do contain genes and can evolve, thereby avoiding destruction by the host's immune system.

Should a virus be considered alive? What are the criteria on which you base your answer. This is for school i need to support my answer.

Answer 1

A virus is not considered to be a living thing because it cannot reproduce without a host.

Answer 2

Even scientists are divided on this, so you need to make up your own mind based on the criteria given to you. Personally I think they are considered living parasites, only because they survive when they are able to make use of the materials/resources in another organism. Other than that, they can't do much on their own.  

Answer 3

A virus is a non-living organism till it had not attached to a unicellular organism. Means when virus gets attached to a bacteria by its hook it becomes alive. Virus is such a organism which could not been killed by any strong toxic because it didnot have any RNA or DNA by which scientist could make a toxic or medicine against the particular virus.

Answer 4

no, bcoz as u mentioned early, can produce only inside a living cell. Virus only consist of RNA/DNA, & the reason why virus is not considered as living thing is it can be crystallized, while other living things could die.

Answer 5

There is no similarity between a virus and any kind of living organism.

Viruses are considered to live in a kind of twilight zone between the living and the non living. This is because they do not have a cellular structure and are non living when outside a host.. Even when they enter a host cell, they do not produce any energy and they do not grow. The just clone themselves with energy from the host. They exist as DNA surrounded by protein. They have no uses. All of them are harmful. They largest is 0.2 and the smallest 0.015 micrometers.