Explain Why Are Viruses Alive
Are Viruses Alive? 1. Describe how a virus differs from bacteria. Most Viruses are harmful and their only purpose is to invade a host cell, reproduce and destroy the host cell in the process. Close to 99% of bacteria are beneficial with only a few that cause diseases. Life on earth could not exist without bacteria. Bacteria produce nearly half of the oxygen found in the atmosphere. Viruses have no cells, nucleus, cytoplasm or cell membrane. Viruses consist of tiny particles of nucleic acid enclosed by a coat of protein. Viruses are smaller than bacteria and can only be seen by an electron microscope. Bacteria are small but larger than a virus and have a single cell of a prokaryotic type. Bacteria lack a nucleus and organelle. All
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According to the article readings, website reviews and lecture notes we were asked to review: • Name the characteristics of life viruses seem to lack as they differ from the lecture outline. Considering all characteristics of life described in the lecture outline beginning with the hierarchy of Biological Organization to Evolve: Viruses have the biological organization of atoms and molecules because they are made up of nucleic acid and protein. Viruses lack the emergent property of living things, which is the cell. They are not classified in any kingdom of organisms. Viruses compensate by attaching themselves to a host cell and dissolving the cell membrane and then they enter the nucleus of the host cell and force the nucleus to replicate the virus. Viruses lack the ability to metabolize and convert carbohydrates to usable energy. Viruses compensate by using the energy from the host cell. Viruses lack a sense of responsiveness because it happens at a cellular level, which they do not have. Viruses lack DNA because all of them do not have it. They compensate for this by using what they do have. Some viruses have a single strand RNA that is unraveled and replicated by the host cell and some viruses have a single strand DNA that is also replicated by the host cell. They lack the ability to reproduce and develop without the assistance of a host cell. Viruses are constantly changing and mutating for their struggle to
According to the article readings, website reviews and lecture notes we were asked to review: • Name the characteristics of life viruses seem to lack as they differ from the lecture outline. Considering all characteristics of life described in the lecture outline beginning with the hierarchy of Biological Organization to Evolve: Viruses have the biological organization of atoms and molecules because they are made up of nucleic acid and protein. Viruses lack the emergent property of living things, which is the cell. They are not classified in any kingdom of organisms. Viruses compensate by attaching themselves to a host cell and dissolving the cell membrane and then they enter the nucleus of the host cell and force the nucleus to replicate the virus. Viruses lack the ability to metabolize and convert carbohydrates to usable energy. Viruses compensate by using the energy from the host cell. Viruses lack a sense of responsiveness because it happens at a cellular level, which they do not have. Viruses lack DNA because all of them do not have it. They compensate for this by using what they do have. Some viruses have a single strand RNA that is unraveled and replicated by the host cell and some viruses have a single strand DNA that is also replicated by the host cell. They lack the ability to reproduce and develop without the assistance of a host cell. Viruses are constantly changing and mutating for their struggle to