Are viruses alive or dead?

[Agentt]

I must be in 6th grade when I encountered that line in my science textbook.

"Are viruses alive?"

And the answer given was, "Some scientist say they are, some say they aren't."


Even at advanced level you encounter the same exact line.

"Some say they are, some say they aren't."


And I feel like even after you become an expert in infectious diseases, the answer to the question will still be, "Some say they are, some say they aren't."


I want to know who are these "some" people.

Are you telling me that in a world where even leading vaccine researchers are uncertain if viruses are alive or not; there exist a few people who say, "Viruses are alive. Fuck you," with such confidence and determination that it influenced scientists all over the world to now say, "Some say they are, some say they aren't"

 

[Anon2024]

Alive is determined by whether something can exist by eating its own food source and processing energy. Bacteria for instance can grow without other cells. It simply needs its own food source to live. As long as it has glucose or molecules considered food, it will do it's thing and divide.

Viruses on the other hand are nothin more than a strand of DNA or RNA that when going into another cell of a specific organism, will replicated by competing with the host cells RNA/DNA strands in producing certain proteins.

I'm not using scientific terms here because I don't feel like getting all the verbiage correct, but Virus don't have the ability to self-replicate and reproduce on their own. They don't even move on their own but happen to be so small that all the other forces around move them.

So technically, no... they're not alive, but they replicate by using living things. That's why we have computer viruses, not computer bacteria.

 

[Syringe]

As an irl healer, I can firmly say no. Not at all. You can think of viruses as nature's bio weapons. They exist only to hijack the cells of the living and replicate. Hell, they're like robots in a way with no purpose other than to invade host cells and multiply. Outside of the living, they're basically helpless and just kinda wait there.

 

[Agentt]

Alive is determined by whether something can exist by eating its own food source and processing energy. Bacteria for instance can grow without other cells. It simply needs its own food source to live. As long as it has glucose or molecules considered food, it will do it's thing and divide.

Viruses on the other hand are nothin more than a strand of DNA or RNA that when going into another cell of a specific organism, will replicated by competing with the host cells RNA/DNA strands in producing certain proteins.

I'm not using scientific terms here because I don't feel like getting all the verbiage correct, but Virus don't have the ability to self-replicate and reproduce on their own. They don't even move on their own but happen to be so small that all the other forces around move them.

So technically, no... they're not alive, but they replicate by using living things. That's why we have computer viruses, not computer bacteria.

Mmm, i know, but how often do you see doctors on tv show say, "yes, viruses are real"

 

[georgelee5786]

They are

 

[Anon2024]

As a nurse, I can firmly say no. Not at all. You can think of viruses as nature's bio weapons. They exist only to hijack the cells of the living and replicate. Hell, they're like robots in a way with no purpose other than to invade host cells and multiply. Outside of the living, they're basically helpless and just kinda wait there.

Syringe, Nurse and PHD in NTR.

Mmm, i know, but how often do you see doctors on tv show say, "yes, viruses are real"

Real does not mean alive.
Your water bottle is real, but it is alive? There might be stuff alive in the water but the bottle itself is not alive... is it?

They are

-_-

 

[Agentt]

Real does not mean alive.
Your water bottle is real, but it is alive? There might be stuff alive in the water but the bottle itself is not alive... is it?

Typo, i meant alive

As a nurse, I can firmly say no. Not at all. You can think of viruses as nature's bio weapons. They exist only to hijack the cells of the living and replicate. Hell, they're like robots in a way with no purpose other than to invade host cells and multiply. Outside of the living, they're basically helpless and just kinda wait there.

Then where are the some people who say they are alive!

 

[Anon2024]

Then where are the some people who say they are alive!

Just because someone is a doctor does not make them smart. It just means they're good at memorizing shit, not critical thinking. People who are only good at memorizing and not critically thinking about the information are easily duped into believing stupid shit.

Knowledgeable =\= smart.
Viruses mimic living things by replicating, BUT viruses cannot self replicate.

 

[Lloyd]

Are you stupid? After covid idk how anyone can still believe viruses are real. That shit is 100% a government op.

 

[Snusmumriken]

This is not the problem of whether viruses are alive or not. We are quite sure what viruses are and what they can do.


The reason that this question is so problematic is that we do not have a discrete definition of what "alive" actually is.

Once we have a list of questions that will 100% answer if something is alive or not, we can easily insert data about viruses and get a definite answer.

 

[Anon2024]

TThe reason that this question is so problematic is that we do not have a discrete definition of what "alive" actually is.

Once we have a list of questions that will 100% answer if something is alive or not, we can easily insert data about viruses and get a definite answer.

That's actually a good point, we don't have a global definition of "what is alive."

 

[Cipiteca396]

This is not the problem of whether viruses are alive or not. We are quite sure what viruses are and what they can do.


The reason that this question is so problematic is that we do not have a discrete definition of what "alive" actually is.

Once we have a list of questions that will 100% answer if something is alive or not, we can easily insert data about viruses and get a definite answer.

Right. The reason viruses get called alive is that they meet half the criteria(I was taught) to be alive, but not all of them.

The funny thing is, some people don't meet all of the criteria I was taught to be alive. For example, a sterile person isn't capable of reproduction. So, not alive.

 

[J_Chemist]

Yesn't.

 

[Snusmumriken]

Right. The reason viruses get called alive is that they meet half the criteria(I was taught) to be alive, but not all of them.

The funny thing is, some people don't meet all of the criteria I was taught to be alive. For example, a sterile person isn't capable of reproduction. So, not alive.

Because "alive" isn't a scientific term, but a cultural one. It is a collective term for a loose group of things that humanity just chose to organise together based on their knowledge of the world at that time. All criteria of being alive that we are taught are just us trying to adapt the old concept to the modern knowledge.

 

[HelloHound]

viruses are like zombies

 

[Gibbs505]

They may not be alive, but they do exist and can really give you a shitty day.

 

[Beeteetee]

Right. The reason viruses get called alive is that they meet half the criteria(I was taught) to be alive, but not all of them.

The funny thing is, some people don't meet all of the criteria I was taught to be alive. For example, a sterile person isn't capable of reproduction. So, not alive.

The most concrete definition for a living thing that I know of is homeostasis.

A fancy word for maintaining or attempting to maintain a stable environment inside the boundaries of the creature in reaction/despite the changes to the creature outside the boundaries of the creature.

A common example used is thermoregulation, another is pH balance (which I why I roll my eyes when people tout the benefits of apple cider vinegar as changing the pH in the body. Hint: it doesn't, due to homeostasis.)

 

[melchi]

I must be in 6th grade when I encountered that line in my science textbook.

"Are viruses alive?"

And the answer given was, "Some scientist say they are, some say they aren't."


Even at advanced level you encounter the same exact line.

"Some say they are, some say they aren't."


And I feel like even after you become an expert in infectious diseases, the answer to the question will still be, "Some say they are, some say they aren't."


I want to know who are these "some" people.

Are you telling me that in a world where even leading vaccine researchers are uncertain if viruses are alive or not; there exist a few people who say, "Viruses are alive. Fuck you," with such confidence and determination that it influenced scientists all over the world to now say, "Some say they are, some say they aren't"

It is really simple. Cell theory states that all living things are made up of cells.

Viruses are not made of cells.

Notice how it is cell theory and not cell law? One cannot prove that there are not living things that are not made of cells hence cell theory.

 

[ElijahRyne]

I must be in 6th grade when I encountered that line in my science textbook.

"Are viruses alive?"

And the answer given was, "Some scientist say they are, some say they aren't."


Even at advanced level you encounter the same exact line.

"Some say they are, some say they aren't."


And I feel like even after you become an expert in infectious diseases, the answer to the question will still be, "Some say they are, some say they aren't."


I want to know who are these "some" people.

Are you telling me that in a world where even leading vaccine researchers are uncertain if viruses are alive or not; there exist a few people who say, "Viruses are alive. Fuck you," with such confidence and determination that it influenced scientists all over the world to now say, "Some say they are, some say they aren't"

I am pretty sure the scientific consensus is that they are not alive. A small handful of scientists may disagree, but that would be because they have a different definition of life then said consensus.

 

[Peter3135566]

Are viruses alive or dead?​

"Some say they are, some say they aren't. and some say YES"