why aren’t viruses “alive”?

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m not very knowledgeable about science, so I’m struggling to understand the notion that viruses aren’t “alive”, and the robot analogies people use. I understand that they don’t have some of the characteristics (cells, ability to reproduce), but my mind can’t wrap itself around the notion that they’re like objects. Can you please give some examples that could explain this in a way that is accessible to someone who isn’t very advanced in the subject?

Thanks

EDIT: wow thanks so much guys for so many amazing replies!!!

In: 29

Answer 1

Because viruses don’t really show any aspect of the definition of living things, they don’t eat, they don’t interact with the surroundings and they don’t reproduce for themselves, they need a host

Also, their structure is even simpler than a bacteria, is just ADN or ARN inside a protein capsule like a candy and very little more

The only thing that is more simple than a virus is a prion, and a prion is just a pice of protein folded the wrong way