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You will create this assignment following the Assignment Detail instructions below. This assignment will be submitted in the Unit 1 - Submission Assignment lesson in intellipath.

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Characteristics of Living Things (50 points)

Living things share 8 characteristics (listed in Chapter 1 of your textbook on page 19). A living thing grows, undergoes metabolism, responds to its environment, reproduces, passes DNA to the next generation, maintains homeostasis, changes over time, and is made up of cells. A non-living thing may seem to do one or more of these things, but to be classified as living; all eight characteristics must be present. Sometimes, you may see something that seems alive but is not. Though you can’t see it, you have likely experienced it; one of those things is a virus.

Answer BOTH of the following questions:

Using all 8 of the characteristics that define life, indicate which one(s) viruses have and which one(s) they do not, and explain each difference.

With these results, present an argument that a virus is a living thing. Then, present the opposite argument that viruses are not alive.

You can fill out a table like this (though this is not required):

Characteristic

Virus

(yes , no, maybe, sort of)

Explanation

Reproduce

Pass along their traits through DNA

Consume energy sources and expel waste products to maintain homeostasis

Respond to their environments

Respond to stimulus

Change over time

Can differ as individuals while still being part of a species

Are made up of cells

Review the following videos to understand what viruses are and how they work:

Flu Attack! How a Virus Invades Your Body

What is a Virus? How do Viruses Work?

Reading these discussions may help you to form your arguments on the status of viruses:

Are Viruses Alive?

Are Viruses Alive? Although Viruses Challenge Our Concept of What "Living" Means, They Are Vital Members of the Web of Life

Follow these guidelines for your paper:

Utilize at least 1 credible source to support the arguments presented in the paper. Make sure you cite appropriately within your paper, and list the reference(s) in APA format on your Reference page.

Your paper should be 1–2 pages in length, not counting the Title page and Reference page.

Characteristic

Virus

(yes , no, maybe, sort of)

Explanation

Reproduce

Pass along their traits through DNA

Consume energy sources and expel waste products to maintain homeostasis

Respond to their environments

Respond to stimulus

Change over time

Can differ as individuals while still being part of a species

Are made up of cells

Explanation / Answer

1.

Characteristic

Virus

(yes , no, maybe, sort of)

Explanation

Reproduce

Do not reproduce on their own.

Viruses needs a host cell to reproduce.

Pass along their traits through DNA

Yes

DNA viruses replicate in the host cell.

Consume energy sources and expel waste products to maintain homeostasis

No

Virus does not consume food and they does not expel waste products.

Respond to their environments

Yes

They can adapt to their environment.

Respond to stimulus

No

They have no metabolism, that can supply them energy to respond to stimulus.

Change over time

Yes

Many viral adaptations involve some changes to their outer surface.

Can differ as individuals while still being part of a species

Yes

Ex: Classical swine fever virus, In this species, strains vary among themselves, some are highly virulent, some are less.

Are made up of cells

No

They are not composed of cells.

2. Now, I can say virus is living:

1.They can reproduce in the host cell. So, like the living cell, they can reproduce.

2.Like living cell, they can replicate their DNA.

3.Like living creatures, they respond to the environment.

4.They can adapt like living individuals in different environment.

5.They differ as individuals, like living individuals.

And virus is non living:

1.Unlike the living creatures, They can not reproduce by their own.

2.Unlike living individuals, Then can not replicate their genetic material.

3.Unlike living creatures, they can not consume food or expel waste products.

4.Unlike living cells, they can not respond to stimulus.

5.All living individuals are made up of cells, but viruses are not.

3. The flue virus usually enters through the mouth. Once inside the body, the virus makes a beeline for the respiratory system and binds to the cells that line those areas. After that, the virus hijacks those cells’ natural mechanisms to replicate and uses them to create more flu viruses in the body.

4. Virus is a small infectious agent which replicates only inside the living cells of different organisms.

Viruses need a host which will give them everything they need to work. Viruses take any chance to find a host. They go inside the host's cells first. Viruses use the host cells machinery to make huge number of copies, so that the cell bursts and infects other cells around it. They can make more viruses very fast. Just one virus can generate lots of viruses and make individual sick.   

If you have multiple questions, please ask them separately. Thanks.

Characteristic

Virus

(yes , no, maybe, sort of)

Explanation

Reproduce

Do not reproduce on their own.

Viruses needs a host cell to reproduce.

Pass along their traits through DNA

Yes

DNA viruses replicate in the host cell.

Consume energy sources and expel waste products to maintain homeostasis

No

Virus does not consume food and they does not expel waste products.

Respond to their environments

Yes

They can adapt to their environment.

Respond to stimulus

No

They have no metabolism, that can supply them energy to respond to stimulus.

Change over time

Yes

Many viral adaptations involve some changes to their outer surface.

Can differ as individuals while still being part of a species

Yes

Ex: Classical swine fever virus, In this species, strains vary among themselves, some are highly virulent, some are less.

Are made up of cells

No

They are not composed of cells.

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