Question

whether viruses are living or non living

Answer 1

hi abbasali!! this is still a huge debate all over the world....i call these viruses multi talented:P can be both living and non living...
hopefully we will get this answer few years down the line. or maybe we would be the ones finding the answer..:)

Answer 2

Most people today consider them nonliving because they need a host cell to reproduce.

Answer 3

Indeed it is a debate, and it all depends on your definition of life, to which we can't agree either. I like to say that we recognize life on it's characteristics. I've listed a few characteristics I tend to find in what I consider life.

1) reproduction
2) response to the environment
3) evolutionary adaptation
4) growth and development
5) energy processing (metabolism)
6) regulation.
7) high structural order.

You can discuses with your self if a virus also goes into any of the categories.