Are viruses alive? Are they simply non-living? Is their status simply neither alive nor dead? This question has haunted microbiologists for years, and possibly ever since they were discovered. Viruses contain genetic code (DNA or RNA) much like living things inside a capsid, they can reproduce, and they can insert genetic material into a host cell. However, viruses also cannot replicate without a host cell, as they do not contain the features required to carry out reproduction without usurping the host cell’s equipment. Viruses also have an evolutionary history much like every other living thing on the planet. However, this does not mean that they are considered alive- in that case, even DNA molecules could be considered alive, but they aren’t. Conflicting opinions on this topic is very confusing, and whether viruses are considered alive or not will change depending on the biologist/microbiologist/virologist you are asking. But from what I have read so far, I think that viruses should be considered as live beings simply because of the evidence discovered for their capabilities as living things (the DNA/RNA code, the ability to reproduce albeit within a host cell, and the evolutionary history). The fact of the matter is that there is so much more that scientists still have to learn about viruses, and I believe that the more we discover and learn, the more the opinion against viruses will change and the more likely it is that they will finally be considered as fully living beings. Justice for the virus!
References:
Emiliani, C. 1993. Extinction and viruses. BioSystems 31: 155-159.
Bhella, D, and Brown, N. 2016. Are Viruses Alive? Microbiology Society: What is Life?
Broeker, F, and Moelling, K. 2019. Viruses and Evolution- Viruses First? A Personal Perspective. Frontiers in Microbiology.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 