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ensui67 t1_j5ip6i3 wrote

Reply to comment by snylekkie in How do we know how old viruses are? by Darth_Fatass

Well, the question still remains and actually is, if they do not possess the actual machinery for them to replicate, are they actually a complete machine(alive)?

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Perfect-Height-8837 t1_j5iqwa7 wrote

The best way I've heard it described is, they are dead when outside a cell, alive when inside.

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screen317 t1_j5j4x7n wrote

There are tons of cellular obligate parasites that render the discussion moot

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LittleCreepy_ t1_j65t38v wrote

I try to put it into words like this:

A virus can be understood to undergo different developmental stages. Much like an insekt goes from egg to larvar to adult, a virus goes from virus particle, floating alone and, debatably, dead in their environment, to integrating itself into the host. It quite litteraly overlapes with their victim, the cell becomes, to an extend, two individuals rolled into one.

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Silunare t1_j5ipkew wrote

It makes no sense to equate a complete machine to being alive. Also, they do have DNA but not the machinery to replicate, which is why they have to take over cells as replication factories.

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