Linked Questions
28 questions linked to/from Why isn't a virus "alive"?
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Viruses. Alive or Not? [duplicate]
I saw this fascinating article today about how HIV moves through a mouse host in real time.
http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/02/watch-hiv-spread-through-mouse-in-real-time/#continued
It's common to ...
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Why is a cellular structure necessary to satisfy the definition of alive? [duplicate]
I was looking at this image and reading through the Wikipedia page for viruses and it says that to satisfy the definition of "being alive" the organism must have a cellular structure, but it seems to ...
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Are viruses technically organisms, or not? [duplicate]
Are viruses technically organisms or not?
A quick Google search query for the term; are viruses organisms?, reveals various conflicting and somewhat inconclusive ...
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Why aren't viruses considered to be non-cellular life? [duplicate]
I have always thought of viruses as being non-cellular lifeforms. And no, it isn't just because of Wikipedia. I have heard that there are viruses that are so complex, that they are very close to being ...
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Why are probionts not considered cellular life? [duplicate]
I am currently studying Prescott's Microbiology, 10th edition, by Willey, Sherwood, and Woolverton. Chapter 1.2 Microbes Have Evolved and Diversified for Billions of Years presents the following ...
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What characteristics do living organisms (like humans or plants) have that viruses don't? [duplicate]
I am not too sure if viruses are considered living organisms.
I learned that living organism:
-Change their size
-Reproduce
-Heal themselves
-Need energy (by eating)
-React to the environment
-...
- 101
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Why are viruses considered microbes?
My question is simple. Why is a virus considered a microbe? Considering a microbe is considered to be a "living" unit of life, which viruses are not.
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How did viruses come to be?
My question is out of curiosity and got me thinking. How did viruses with the head, tail and tail fibres actually evolve? These viruses look more like machines than biological entities. Are there any ...
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Changing the definition of life?
Viruses at this period of time do not fit the current definition of life.
Much of the reasoning behind this is that we currently believe that all life must be made up of cells.
Also, many biologist/...
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Why are plants classified in living things? [closed]
@Volunteers Beware that I am none of the biological magnates. Nor a philosopher. This is just a sign of curiosity. And, I want only an intuition that enables me to see the difference.
As far as I ...
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Which biological kingdom comprises the greatest biomass on Earth?
Which of the five biological kingdoms - animalia, protista, plantera, monera, or fungi - has the largest biomass?
To clarify, if the biomass of every species in each of these kingdoms was added up, ...
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Are mitochondria alive? [duplicate]
I'm working on an assignment for my IB biology class and some assistance would be highly appreciated. I've read several articles and I still haven't quite gotten the answer I'm looking for. I have to ...
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Are seedless fruits considered life? [closed]
From school, I remember that for something to be considered life, it must be able to reproduce. With the creation of seedless fruits (such as watermelon), would this be considered life as they don't ...
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Viruses selected by evolution
I had a conversation with a family member who is a bio-computer-scientist and he talked to me about what his colleagues (biologist) are doing and I feel confused about it.
They work in Chile and are ...
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Why is the ability of a virus to get crystallized considered as a "Non living feature of a virus"?
My book states that the fact that :"Viruses can be crystallized" is a proof of their "Non living character"
Does that mean living things cannot be crystallized? If yes, why is that so?
