BIOLOGY 100 FADAHUNSI

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SHOULD VIRUSES BE CATEGORIZED AS LIVING

Even though viruses are considered dangerous and have the potential of causing diseases that can lead to death, the debate still keeps going on about whether they can be categorized as living things. For any organism to be considered as living thing, the organism must be able to replicate by itself without reliance, the organism must be able to self divide, and must also be able to generate its energy through a metabolic means. Viruses cannot do nor do they possess any of these above mentioned features and as a result, they are not considered to be living things.Why is the controversy surrounding this question still not completely resolved?While it is believed that viruses cannot metabolize, there have been indications that some viruses can metabolize. According to an online source, "recently discovered giant viruses-which rival the size of some bacteria-have been found to contain genes for proteins used in metabolism, raising the possibilty that some viruses might metabolize" (Scudellari, 2021).

What are virusesAccording to an online source, "A virus is an infectious microbe consisting of a segment of nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. Avirus cannot replicate alone; instead, it must infect cells and use component of the host cell to make copies of itself" How does the structure of a Virus differ from the structure of Prokaryotes?Prokaryotes are quite larger than viruses. Virus depends on a host cell for replication and are made of a genetic cell materials and proteins.How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?I feel like the fact that viruses are made of protein and are able to replicate makes an argument for viruses to be classified as living. Although they depend on a host cell to do this. How does a cell get energy?According to an online search, "cells obtain energy by the oxidation of organic molecules. All animals and plant cells are powered by energy strand in the chemical bonds of organic molecules whether this be sugars that a plant has photosynthesized as food for itself or the mixture of large and small molecules that an animal has eaten"(Alberts, 1970)

As compared to a cell, how does a virus utilize and get energy?Viruses totally depend on their hosts for protein and energy production and can only replicate within the host cell that is infected. How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?Based of the fact that viruses cannot make their own energy and rely on the host, I would say they cannot be classified as living. How does a cell reproduce itself?Cell division occurs in two ways, mitosis and meoisis. Mitosis has to do with actual cell division where the duplication of all contents to include chromosome occurs within the cell. This leads to the splitting of two identical cells.As compared to a cell, how does a virus reproduce itself?Unlike a cell, viruses cannot replicate by themselves. Viruses require a host cell to replicate. Viruses inserts their genetic materials in a host cells to reproduce.

How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?The above evidence serves as an evidence against the argument that viruses should be classified as living. For any organism to be regarded as living, it needs to be able to independently reproduce on its own and viruses seems not to fit into this category.How and why does a cell mutate?According to an online research, "Mutations result either from errors in DNA replication or from the damaging effects of mutagens such as chemicals and radiation, which react with DNA and change the structures of individual nucleotide. All cells possess DNA repair enzymes that attempt to minimize the number of mutations that occur"(Brown, 1970).How and why does a virus mutate?Virus mutation can lead to a dead end but it is also a natural process for survival. Mutation as we know it can aid viruses in evading vaccines and immune responses. A virus can also extend its life by transfering itself from one host to another.

How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?The fact that a virus still requires a host in order to extend its life and reproduce itself makes it a non-living organism. Any living organism does not need a host to exist and a virus does not fit into this category.Why are some people resistant to diseases and viruses?Genetic variations and make-up is the reason why some people become resistant to viruses and diseases. Genetic variations has been proven to block strains of viruses and diseases in people who possess this genetic variations.How do vaccines provide immunity to viruses?Vaccines are used to introduce antigens into the body of the host. The antigen emulates an infection which in turn feeds the immune system to activate. With this, our body is ready to tackle any future pathogens our body encounters.How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?Viruses just like antigens require a host to survive. The fact that a virus cannot survive on its own makes it fall under the class of non-living things.

How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?The fact that a virus still requires a host in order to extend its life and reproduce itself makes it a non-living organism. Any living organism does not need a host to exist and a virus does not fit into this category.Why are some people resistant to diseases and viruses?Genetic variations and make-up is the reason why some people become resistant to viruses and diseases. Genetic variations has been proven to block strains of viruses and diseases in people who possess this genetic variations.How do vaccines provide immunity to viruses?Vaccines are used to introduce antigens into the body of the host. The antigen emulates an infection which in turn feeds the immune system to activate. With this, our body is ready to tackle any future pathogens our body encounters.How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?Viruses just like antigens require a host to survive. The fact that a virus cannot survive on its own makes it fall under the class of non-living things.

What is the purpose of DNA and RNA in a cell? DNA also known as deoxyribonucleic acid are vital nucleic acids found in cells. It keeps genetic information and also serve as a blueprint. RNA which means ribonucleic acid is also found in cells and it also plays a vital role in gene expression. As compared to a cell, what is the purpose of DNA or RNA in a virus? The RNA virus replicates rapidly using its host because of its high mutation rate. Unlike the RNA virus, the DNA virus is more stable and does not replicate at a speedy rate. It can rplicate DNA cells but is not like the RNA virus.How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living? The fact that viruses still rely on the DNA cells and RNA cells to replicate makes them fall under the classification of non living things. For viruses to be considered as living, they need to be independent without reliance on other organisms to replicate.

Are viruses subject to evolution? If so, then how do viruses evolve?Viruses are subject to evolution just like all cell based life. The "gene pool" of viruses metamorphosise over time and in certain cases, the viruses may evolve through natural selection. According to an online source, "Not only do viruses evolve, but they also tend to evolve faster than their hosts, such as humans" (khanacademy, 2024).How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?The fact that viruses still need to rely on a host to evolve makes them a non-living thing. For any organism to be classified as living, they need to be able to survive on their own and not rely on another or a host to survive. What is the difference between bacterial diseases and viral diseases? A viral disease or viral diseases are caused by a virus. An example of these would be chicken pox, Covid -19, or influenza. On the other hand, a bacterial infection or infections are diseases caused by bacteria. Some ailments caused by bacteria include: tetanus, anthrax, or strep throat.

How does this information provide evidence for or against the argument that viruses should be classified as living?Both a bacterial disease and a viral disease still need to infect a host before an infection can occur. Without a host, they cannot exist; which makes them classifiable as a non-living thing. How could the continued controversy regarding whether viruses should be considered alive be solved? I feel like everybody needs to come to terms with the fact that for anything to be regarded or classified as living, they need to be able to survive on their own without reliance on a host. Humans, animals, and plants are perfect examples of a living thing. What evidence can you provide? Some of the evidences I came across that proves that viruses cannot be classified as living includes the following: Viruses cannot replicate on its own without a host, viruses cannot generate energy through a metabolic means, viruses require a host to survive, and viruses still require a host to extend its life.

What solutions based on what you have learned this term could you propose that would eliminate the controversy? The fact that viruses do not use their own energy and only get active whenever there is a contact with the host cell should be enough evidence to eliminate this controversy. While there are arguments that viruses can still be classified as living because of metabolism, I feel like there are too many arguments against why viruses cannot be classified as living in comparison to why they can be classified as living.

Work CitedAlberts, B. (1970, January 1). How cells obtain energy from food. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26882/ Brown, T. A. (1970, January 1). Mutation, repair and recombination. Genomes. 2nd edition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21114/ Fowler, S., Roush, R., & Wise, J. (n.d.). Ch. 1 introduction - concepts of biology. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/1-introductionGiorgi, A. (n.d.). Viral vs. bacterial infection: What’s the difference? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/viral-vs-bacterial-infection-what-s-the-difference-5442997#:~:text=A%20viral%20infection%20is%20an%20illness%20caused%20by,ailments%20that%20include%20strep%20throat%2C%20tetanus%2C%20and%20anthrax. Khan Academy. (n.d.-b). Evolution of viruses (article). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/natural-selection/common-ancestry-and-continuing-evolution/a/evolution-of-viruses

Medical News: Medical Articles. News. (n.d.). https://www.news-medical.net/ Scudellari, M. (2021, November 1). Are viruses alive? and why does it matter?. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/viruses-alive-coronavirus-definition.Segre, J. (2024, February 9). Virus. Genome.gov. https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Virus U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Genetics. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/ Online public health & healthcare administration degrees. School of Public Health. (2023, September 9). https://publichealth.tulane.edu/