Which of the Following Supports the Argument That Viruses Are

Question

Which of the following supports the argument that viruses are nonliving?
A)They are not able to reproduce or carry out metabolism outside of a host cell.
B)Their DNA does not encode proteins.
C)They have RNA rather than DNA.
D)They do not evolve.
E)They mutate rapidly.

Accepted Answer

One of the widely accepted characteristics of living organisms is their ability to reproduce and carry out metabolic processes. However, viruses cannot do either of these without a host cell, thus supporting the idea that they are nonliving.