Question

It has been said that viruses lead "a kind of borrowed life." Do you think viruses should be considered living organisms or not? Back up your opinion by supporting facts about viruses.

Answer 1

It is actually not clear whether or not viruses are alive.They consists of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat that may also shelter viral proteins involved in infection.When a virus enters a cell , it sheds its coat, bares its genes and induces the cell's own replication machinery to reproduce the intruder's DNA or RNA and manufacture more viral protein based on the instruction in the viral nucleic acid. Through this process other viruses are replicated . so, in a senses viruses lead " a kind of borrowed life " . viruses seems to be more closely resemble a chemistry set than a living thing, so scientists consider them inert chemicals. But whether or not they are alive , it's the differences that matters. Human beings begin their life at fertilization and direct their own development, which doesn't end at birth . If it can be said that a new born is a human being then there are no grounds,to exclude the human zygote from the human community. Even if viruses are alive , its not simply being alive that makes a human being valuable,but the kind of thing it is.