Eli5: what exactly is a virus and are viruses alive?
In: 130
A virus is a strand of information that infects a host and causes the host to reproduce and spread that information. In the case of a biological virus, the information is DNA, but there are other kinds of viruses which exist in other media, such as memes and computer viruses.
There is some debate about if viruses are alive and I am firmly in the camp that they are not. A key element of being alive is processing the local environment to stay alive; You know: eating, drinking, breathing, photosynthesis, etc. Virus are fundamentally unable to do that even when they are in a biological media.
A virus is a strand of information that infects a host and causes the host to reproduce and spread that information. In the case of a biological virus, the information is DNA, but there are other kinds of viruses which exist in other media, such as memes and computer viruses.
There is some debate about if viruses are alive and I am firmly in the camp that they are not. A key element of being alive is processing the local environment to stay alive; You know: eating, drinking, breathing, photosynthesis, etc. Virus are fundamentally unable to do that even when they are in a biological media.
A virus is a strand of information that infects a host and causes the host to reproduce and spread that information. In the case of a biological virus, the information is DNA, but there are other kinds of viruses which exist in other media, such as memes and computer viruses.
There is some debate about if viruses are alive and I am firmly in the camp that they are not. A key element of being alive is processing the local environment to stay alive; You know: eating, drinking, breathing, photosynthesis, etc. Virus are fundamentally unable to do that even when they are in a biological media.
The general structure of a virus includes: the viral genome (vRNA) within a protein capsid (basically a protein container). Some viruses also have a lipid envelope similar to, but slightly different than a cell membrane; however not all do. The capsid (&/or envalope) often has molecular functionality allowing the virus to infect its host (insert its vRNA). The viral genome then utilizes the host cell’s molecular machinery (enzymes, proteins, etc) to integrate &/or replicate itself.
The difference between a virus (not technically alive), and a “living” cell basically comes down to it’s inability to metabolize energy and replicate on it’s own. Viruses require the host cell’s metabolic activity and replication machinery (DNA polymerase, ribosomes, etc) in order to replicate it’s own genetic material, and produce new viral proteins to form new viral particles.
The general structure of a virus includes: the viral genome (vRNA) within a protein capsid (basically a protein container). Some viruses also have a lipid envelope similar to, but slightly different than a cell membrane; however not all do. The capsid (&/or envalope) often has molecular functionality allowing the virus to infect its host (insert its vRNA). The viral genome then utilizes the host cell’s molecular machinery (enzymes, proteins, etc) to integrate &/or replicate itself.
The difference between a virus (not technically alive), and a “living” cell basically comes down to it’s inability to metabolize energy and replicate on it’s own. Viruses require the host cell’s metabolic activity and replication machinery (DNA polymerase, ribosomes, etc) in order to replicate it’s own genetic material, and produce new viral proteins to form new viral particles.
The general structure of a virus includes: the viral genome (vRNA) within a protein capsid (basically a protein container). Some viruses also have a lipid envelope similar to, but slightly different than a cell membrane; however not all do. The capsid (&/or envalope) often has molecular functionality allowing the virus to infect its host (insert its vRNA). The viral genome then utilizes the host cell’s molecular machinery (enzymes, proteins, etc) to integrate &/or replicate itself.
The difference between a virus (not technically alive), and a “living” cell basically comes down to it’s inability to metabolize energy and replicate on it’s own. Viruses require the host cell’s metabolic activity and replication machinery (DNA polymerase, ribosomes, etc) in order to replicate it’s own genetic material, and produce new viral proteins to form new viral particles.
Incan think of three ways to look at “is a virus alive?”
The scientific way, which is where the “kind of alive kind of not” thing comes from. The other responses in this thread address this in more depth. I’ll summarize that it has half the building blocks of “life” so it falls in a gray area.
The philosophical interpretation. What does it mean to be alive? To have memories and experiences? Recognize yourself in a memory or have a sense of self? To have empathy and selflessness? It’s up to debate. Is a virus truly alive? What about a plant, or an insect? A dog? Are humans truly living or are they all a part of a predetermined illusion of life?
And a metaphorical interpretation. This is like personification. A virus, your robot vacuum, an F-15—you can say you killed any of those and it would make sense, so saying they’re still live targets is also valid.
Incan think of three ways to look at “is a virus alive?”
The scientific way, which is where the “kind of alive kind of not” thing comes from. The other responses in this thread address this in more depth. I’ll summarize that it has half the building blocks of “life” so it falls in a gray area.
The philosophical interpretation. What does it mean to be alive? To have memories and experiences? Recognize yourself in a memory or have a sense of self? To have empathy and selflessness? It’s up to debate. Is a virus truly alive? What about a plant, or an insect? A dog? Are humans truly living or are they all a part of a predetermined illusion of life?
And a metaphorical interpretation. This is like personification. A virus, your robot vacuum, an F-15—you can say you killed any of those and it would make sense, so saying they’re still live targets is also valid.
Incan think of three ways to look at “is a virus alive?”
The scientific way, which is where the “kind of alive kind of not” thing comes from. The other responses in this thread address this in more depth. I’ll summarize that it has half the building blocks of “life” so it falls in a gray area.
The philosophical interpretation. What does it mean to be alive? To have memories and experiences? Recognize yourself in a memory or have a sense of self? To have empathy and selflessness? It’s up to debate. Is a virus truly alive? What about a plant, or an insect? A dog? Are humans truly living or are they all a part of a predetermined illusion of life?
And a metaphorical interpretation. This is like personification. A virus, your robot vacuum, an F-15—you can say you killed any of those and it would make sense, so saying they’re still live targets is also valid.
what’s really going to bake your noodle later on is whether a prion is alive… A self-replicating protein that can kill you. It can survive disinfectants, it can survive boiling, it can survive on scapels and spread to patients via surgery.
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