Are Viruses Alive? Although viruses challenge our concept of what "living" means, they are vital members of the web of life

March 28, 2020
Lead Article, Original Date; According to an Editors Note found on this Article the Original date of this article is from December of 2004 and Re-Posted 2008
Website; Scientific American
Lead Author/Credit; Luis P. Villarreal
Forward; Ray Langella,
Kudos; Jacqueline Pracella

Credit: Gopal Murty, Getty Images, from the article Are Viruses Alive; Scientific American, Luis P. Villarreal, August 08, 2008.

The Age Old Questioned, are viruses alive is answered in this article by Luis P Villarreal. While the article is a little dated it will give the reader a better and yet simple way of just how to look at Viruses and their coexistence with mere mortals like us. Yes, Viruses have been around for quite a long time and have caused mankind a great deal of suffering. However, without them our history may be quite different. "More poetically, virologists Marc H. V. van Regenmortel of the University of Strasbourg in France and Brian W. J. Mahy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently said that with their dependence on host cells, viruses lead “a kind of borrowed life.” Unfortunately, that borrowed life and the affects of COVID-19 also plays a role in our daily lives as now experienced by most of Earths Current Highest Life Forms which inhabit this planet. I have placed several other links regarding viruses below.

Read More; Are Viruses Alive?

Related Links and suggested reading:

Are Viruses Alive?; Live Science, February 25, 2017

Are Viruses Alive?; Microbial Life, Educational Resources, Date Unknown