Eli5: what exactly is a virus and are viruses alive?
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3rd year student doctor in the US. Passed board exams and stuff and see patients on my own daily… but this really boils down to your definition of what is life. Which is a constant societal debate. Even among humans in the untited states, we literally have state laws of how long before a fetus is considered a human and it isn’t murder etc… it isn’t a political debate. But the point is it’s subject to *interpetation*. Don’t talk about politics to me reddit. I don’t give a fuck about abortion. I’m simply saying the definition of *life* is subjective. My microbiology professor in undergrad says viruses aren’t alive but my med school micro professor says they are. Life is *popularly* defined as being capable of metabolism and self replication *on your own*. Essentially, cellular function is life. Viruses are not cells. They’re Rouge peices of DNA or RNA.
So essentially it’s up to you to decide if a virus is living or not. There’s no straight up law or 100% defined definition of what life is or not. Viruses replicate? Do they not? That’s an example to some it’s alive.
So it boils down what you’re definition of *life* is. As a pregnant women driving in the HOV-2 lane is illegal her your own. However if someone kills a pregnant women they can be charged accordingly for 2 murders.
So bottom line, viruses being alive depends on your definition of life. Just like abortion. Though it’s unanimously agreed bacteria, protozia, etc.. are life. Viruses are a grey area.
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