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Are Viruses Alive?
For so long, viruses have been left out of the “living” loop. Read any high
school science textbook, and you’ll find a statement like this one: “A virus is a
lifeless particle that carries out no metabolic functions of its own…”(Di Giuseppe
et. al., 2003, p. 104). But is this decision fair? Although viruses do not contain many
of the structures associated with cells, the decision to consider them “lifeless”
should be reexamined.
First of all, viruses contain the two main molecules associated with living
things: genetic material (DNA or RNA) and protein (Di Giuseppe et. al., 2003, p.
104). These molecules are what make living things different from all other
substances on Earth. Viruses, just like humans, bacteria, lions and grass, have
genetic material that determines what they will look like. For example, the
varicella-zoster virus, which causes chicken pox, has DNA in its core (Di Giuseppe
et. al., 2003, p. 104), which is written in the same language as our own DNA!
Viruses also undergo one of the most basic processes associated with living
things – reproduction. Yes, viruses need a little help from cells, since they lack the
structures needed to do it themselves (Di Giuseppe et. al., 2003, p. 105). But this
does not change the fact that reproduction is an important part of their “life”, just
as any other living thing on the planet. This need to reproduce separates living
things from inanimate objects such as rocks and water. And it means viruses have
more in common with us than they do with “lifeless” things like dirt.
Finally, viruses, like living things, are an important part of ecosystems.
Although viruses are generally considered to be bad because the cause disease,
the cause disease, viruses are helpful because they keep populations from
growing to large. Without viruses, populations could grow so large that they would
use up their resources and end up crashing. Viruses play an important role in living
ecosystems, and should be recognized as living parts of those ecosystems.
Viruses have been considered “non-living” for too long. They share the
same genetic material as we do, they strive to reproduce as we do, and they are
an important part of the natural ecosystem, as we are. It is about time that
scientists give them the recognition that they deserve, and consider them as living
members of our world. Only then will they get the same respect given to other
microbes such as bacteria.