are viruses alive?

Question

are viruses alive?

anonymous · Answer

They r connecting link between living and non-living.

anonymous · Answer

It depends on the criteria for life: I don't think viruses can display locomotion so to some they are not alive. Usually people say they are not alive even though they can reproduce (albeit with the machinery of the host cell). You might like to look up the criteria for life - I'm pretty sure locomotion is one of them.

carniel · Answer

No there not alive. They attach to a host to give them the virus though.

anonymous · Answer

its a debate. but we can generally consider as nonliving.

anonymous · Answer

viruses are considered non-living outside a host. The do not grow on artificial media.They are non cellular, infectious entities that contain either RNA or DNA , are enclosed in a protein coat and reproduce only in living cells.

anonymous · Answer

But still they can evolve rather fast (faster than any living thing) due to natural selection? If so I think that is an interesting quality for a non-living.