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:
1. 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.
2. 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:
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.
References
NPR. (2009, October 23). Flu attack! How a virus invades your body | Krulwich wonders | NPR [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpj0emEGShQ
Rice, G. (n.d.). Are viruses alive? Retrieved from https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/yellowstone/viruslive.html
Villarreal, V. (2008). Are viruses alive? Although viruses challenge our concept of what “living” means, they are vital members of the web of life. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-viruses-alive-2004/
WinchPharmaGroup. (2015, March 9). What is a virus? How do viruses work? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KXHwhTghW
