Organise a discussion in your class on the topic: Are viruses living or non-living?

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(N/A) Viruses are microscopic entities that exhibit characteristics of both living and non-living organisms.
$1$. Evidence for living nature: They contain genetic material ($DNA$ or $RNA$) and can replicate,but only inside a host cell. They also exhibit mutations and can respond to environmental stimuli within the host.
$2$. Evidence for non-living nature: They are acellular,lack metabolic machinery (like ribosomes or enzymes for energy production),and cannot reproduce independently outside a host cell. They can also be crystallized,a property typical of non-living matter.
Conclusion: Because they bridge the gap between living and non-living,they are often considered 'obligate parasites' or 'borderline' entities in biological classification.

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