Eli5-If a virus isn’t technically alive, I would assume it doesn’t have instinct. Where does it get its instructions/drive to know to infect host cells and multiply?
In: 7067
It’s all about the DNA. The viral DNA particle’s sequence is naturally good at forming a viral shell around it, which gets it injected into a cell where it makes copies of itself and its shell. Because it’s good at getting replicated in its environment, it persists while less efficient DNA sequences get gradually outcompeted into extinction. There is no will, just chemistry and statistics pushing ever more efficient viruses.
Latest Answers