Viruses lack inherent metabolic activity and do not exhibit molecular movement until they infect host cells. This lack of autonomous molecular movement raises questions about whether viruses meet all criteria for life.
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Viruses lack inherent metabolic activity and do not exhibit molecular movement until they infect host cells. This lack of autonomous molecular movement raises questions about whether viruses meet all criteria for life.
The controversy surrounding whether viruses are truly alive arises from their unique characteristics. Viruses lack essential attributes of life, such as cellular structure and independent metabolism. They cannot carry out metabolic processes or replicate without a host cell. While they exhibit genetic material, their reliance on host cells blurs the traditional definition of life. Some argue viruses are complex biological entities, while others view them as biological agents with characteristics of living and non-living entities. The debate reflects the challenge of categorizing entities with characteristics that fall outside conventional definitions of life.