In this new video from Virus Watch, I tackle the thorny question of whether viruses are alive.
Plenty of people have offered their opinon on this question. The results of a poll I’ve had here on virology blog shows that people are divided on the answer.
But I’m sure I have a good answer to this question.
I always worry this is a pseudoquestion. It seems like it should have an answer, but it doesn’t because the world is messy and humans like neat categories.
I understand what you mean. Humans make up their own definitions, what do they really mean? But because I’m very involved with viruses, I had to give my own opinion here.
Alive (adj.): Capable of being infected by a virus.
and I thougt, the main argument were about evolution history,
the tree of life, the 3 domains
When you require “cells” , you are already somehow using that
evolution-history argument.
However, there are also bacteriophagues
viroids,satellites,prions