Joshua Everett
Mr. Hammer
AP Biology
February 18, 2015
Should a Virus be Classified as a Living Thing?
In contrast, some examples of organisms that are classified as living things are sponges and elodeas. Sponges are living things because then obtain their energy from organic compounds which are commonly found inside food sources. They are able to respond to external stimuli such as their environment which is most common within oceans and rivers. Sponges are able to reproduce both sexually and asexually along with being able to grow and develop through cell division and enlargement. Elodea are also able to do the same things as sponges but instead of obtaining their energy from organic compounds, they obtain energy from sunlight. These organism obtain energy from their environment in order to maintain their order by forming complex from simpler molecules. The biological molecules found in sponges and elodea are nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. The cells within sponges and elodea have many organelles other structures that are able to respond to environmental conditions such as a drastic change in temperatures. This response in return allows them to be able to adapt to their environment despite their environmental changes. Both organisms reproduce either by sexual or asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction is the joining of two sex cells and asexual reproduction is reproduction without the use of gametes. When reproduction occurs a copy of the DNA or RNA that is in these organisms are distributed among the cells. The sponge and elodea are also able to grow by dividing their cells and enlarging them through mitosis and the distribution of genetic material. Cells grow to a certain size and then divide which is the cause for an organism as a whole to be able to grow. Sponges and elodea are examples of classified living things because they have characteristics that meet the criteria for all living things.
Some examples of viruses include the influenza virus and adenovirus. Both viruses are unable to utilize energy sources to maintain order within them such as to perform biological processes. They are unable to respond to environmental changes which will cause them to potentially die because they are not able to protect themselves or adapt to the environment to stay alive. These viruses are unable to grow and develop which means their cells aren't dividing or enlarging which is customary within living things. Reproduction is also customary in living things and viruses are able to do this but only in the presence of host cells. If it wasn't for host cells, viruses would most likely be non existence which would make them nonliving.
Overall, viruses barely meet two of the seven criteria to be classified as a living thing. To be classified as a living thing, viruses would have to meet all seven of the characteristics of life and they barely meet two of them. Based on the comparison between what living things have and what viruses have, I conclude that viruses are not living things.
In order for something to be consider living, it has to meet the seven characteristics of life. The seven characteristics of life include that they are composed of cells, they have different levels of organization, they use energy, they grow, they reproduce, they respond to respond to their environment, and they are able to adapt to their environment. For an organism to be considered a living thing, it has to have and be able to do all of these things and if something lacks even one of these characteristics it is considered nonliving. Based on these standards of living, viruses should not be classified as a living thing because they only meet the criteria for being able to reproduce and adapt to its environment. The characteristic for viruses to be able to reproduce is on the edge because they are only able to reproduce with the presence of a host cell. Viruses are only nonliving things that are composed of DNA or RNA that is enclosed by a protein shell that can infect cells by replicating their genetic material.
In contrast, some examples of organisms that are classified as living things are sponges and elodeas. Sponges are living things because then obtain their energy from organic compounds which are commonly found inside food sources. They are able to respond to external stimuli such as their environment which is most common within oceans and rivers. Sponges are able to reproduce both sexually and asexually along with being able to grow and develop through cell division and enlargement. Elodea are also able to do the same things as sponges but instead of obtaining their energy from organic compounds, they obtain energy from sunlight. These organism obtain energy from their environment in order to maintain their order by forming complex from simpler molecules. The biological molecules found in sponges and elodea are nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. The cells within sponges and elodea have many organelles other structures that are able to respond to environmental conditions such as a drastic change in temperatures. This response in return allows them to be able to adapt to their environment despite their environmental changes. Both organisms reproduce either by sexual or asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction is the joining of two sex cells and asexual reproduction is reproduction without the use of gametes. When reproduction occurs a copy of the DNA or RNA that is in these organisms are distributed among the cells. The sponge and elodea are also able to grow by dividing their cells and enlarging them through mitosis and the distribution of genetic material. Cells grow to a certain size and then divide which is the cause for an organism as a whole to be able to grow. Sponges and elodea are examples of classified living things because they have characteristics that meet the criteria for all living things.
Some examples of viruses include the influenza virus and adenovirus. Both viruses are unable to utilize energy sources to maintain order within them such as to perform biological processes. They are unable to respond to environmental changes which will cause them to potentially die because they are not able to protect themselves or adapt to the environment to stay alive. These viruses are unable to grow and develop which means their cells aren't dividing or enlarging which is customary within living things. Reproduction is also customary in living things and viruses are able to do this but only in the presence of host cells. If it wasn't for host cells, viruses would most likely be non existence which would make them nonliving.
Overall, viruses barely meet two of the seven criteria to be classified as a living thing. To be classified as a living thing, viruses would have to meet all seven of the characteristics of life and they barely meet two of them. Based on the comparison between what living things have and what viruses have, I conclude that viruses are not living things.
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