Whether or not viruses are alive is an ongoing debate but we can use a set of standards used to normally determine if something is living in order to determine if viruses are alive. To start, living things have cells. Viruses do not have cells and therefore do not meet the first standard or qulaification to be deemed living. Secondly, living things reproduce. Viruses are unable to duplicate their DNA and reproduce. However, they are able to make a new virus by injecting their DNA in a host cell. Given that viruses require a host cell in order to make a new virus and are not able to do so independently or by “mating” I deem this standard to have not been met by viruses. Next, living things use energy. Viruses do not utilize any energy unless they have invaded a host cell and then feed off of their energy. Again, I deem this as a standard that viruses have not met as they do not use any energy on their own ouisde of a host cell. Finally, living things are known to interact with their environment. This is a broad standard and can be interpreted in different ways. Living things have cells that bind to other cells and are able to pass genetic material resulting in evolution and development. Viruses interact with cells they invade and inject their DNA in host cells which also allows them to evolve within that host cell. However, the key difference again is the fact that living things possess the ability to interact with their environment prior to invading or changing their environment. On the other hand, viruses must change their environment by invading a host cell in order to interact with said environment. The interactions viruses have with their environment is the action of infecting host cells which is more so a result of the anatomy of a virus as opposed to the capability of interacting with the environment as a living thing. Therefore, I do not consider viruses to be living. Despite viruses not being alive, this does not mean they cannot evolve. As established viruses are able to create new viruses and evolve once they have infected a host cell. Viruses are essentially dependent on living things and once they have invaded these livings things, they get to act like they are living so long as they remain attached to their hosts.
Reference:
Ibswit. “Are Viruses Alive?” Ask A Biologist, 7 Mar. 2020, https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/are-viruses-alive.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 