Paige Castelhano

A2

Are Viruses Considered Living Organisms?

To be alive, an organism must be capable of the

following: reproduction, containing genetic material,
organization, growth, development, utilizing energy,
maintaining homeostasis, responding to
environmental stimulus, and evolution. Viruses do
not meet all the requirements of a living organism,
and therefore cannot be considered alive.
Firstly, all living organisms must consist of at least a
single cell. Viruses are acellular, meaning they do
not contain any cells. A virus instead is constructed
of a particle called a virion. This particle is made up
of a set of genes, wrapped in a protective shell made from protein called a capsid. Neither
virions nor viruses in general contain nuclei, organelles, or cytoplasm, making it impossible for
them to be classified as living organisms.
Additionally, all living things must maintain homeostasis, or the ability to keep a
consistent internal environment without being affected by external environmental conditions.
Without any cells, a virus can not observe or alter their interior environment.
Without cells, it is also impossible for viruses to reproduce asexually or sexually. Instead,
they replicate through the use of the infected host cells metabolic machinery. This also means
that viruses do not grow on their own, and enter the cell at their full size. The host cell must
create new components of the virus for it to grow any further. With these life functions missing,
there is no possibility that a virus can be considered a living organism.

Citations:
"Are Viruses Dead or Alive?" Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.
Kaiser, Gary E. "Characteristics of Viruses." Characteristics of Viruses. N.p., June 2014. Web.
26 Jan. 2017.
Racaniello, Vincent. "Are Viruses Living?" Virology Blog. N.p., 9 June 2004. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.