Question

name:
amoeba sisters video recap: viruses

1. are viruses considered to be living organisms? why or why not?

characteristics of life

1. are viruses considered to be cells? would they be included in these cell theory statements?

modern cell theory
the cell is the smallest living unit in all organisms.
all living things are made of cells.
all cells come from other pre - existing cells.

1. compare and contrast a virus to a cell. what would be some differences? what are some similarities?

determine whether the following statements are true or false by applying what you have learned. if false, you will be asked to explain why.
4.
viruses can be treated with antibiotics.
if false, why? if true, leave blank

5.
viruses are smaller than the hosts they infect.
if false, why? if true, leave blank

6.
viruses are prokaryotes.
if false, why? if true, leave blank

determine whether the following statements are true or false by applying what you have learned. if false, you will be asked to explain why.
7.
virus structure includes biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids.
if false, why? if true, leave blank

8.
viruses require a host to reproduce.
if false, why? if true, leave blank

9.
viruses only target animals (including humans).
if false, why? if true, leave blank

Explanation:

Question 1:

To determine if viruses are living, we check the characteristics of life. Living organisms grow, reproduce (on their own), metabolize, respond to stimuli, and are made of cells. Viruses lack cells, can’t reproduce independently (need a host), and don’t perform metabolic functions. So they aren’t living.

Question 2:

Cells are the basic unit of life, and cell theory states all living things are made of cells and come from pre - existing cells. Viruses aren’t cells (no cellular structure) and don’t meet cell theory criteria (e.g., don’t reproduce on their own like cells do), so they aren’t considered cells and aren’t included in cell theory statements.

Question 3:

• Differences:
• Cells are the basic unit of life, have a cellular structure (prokaryotic or eukaryotic), can reproduce independently (e.g., binary fission, mitosis), and perform metabolic functions (like respiration, protein synthesis). Viruses have no cellular structure, can’t reproduce on their own (need a host cell’s machinery), and don’t perform metabolism.
• Similarities:
• Both contain genetic material (DNA or RNA) and proteins. Both can evolve (change over time) and can cause diseases in hosts.

Question 4:

Antibiotics target bacterial structures or processes (like cell wall synthesis, bacterial ribosomes). Viruses don’t have bacterial - like structures or processes, so antibiotics don’t work on them. So the statement is False.

Question 5:

Viruses are very small (e.g., range from about 20 - 300 nanometers), while their hosts (like bacteria, animal cells) are larger (bacterial cells are around 1 - 10 micrometers, animal cells around 10 - 30 micrometers). So viruses are smaller than their hosts. The statement is True.

Question 6:

Prokaryotes are cells (like bacteria, archaea) with no nucleus but have a cellular structure. Viruses aren’t cells at all, so they can’t be prokaryotes. The statement is False.

Question 7:

Virus structure typically includes a protein coat (capsid) and nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) inside. Proteins and nucleic acids are biomolecules. So the statement is True.

Question 8:

Viruses have no cellular machinery to reproduce. They need to infect a host cell and use the host’s ribosomes, enzymes, and other components to make more viruses. So they require a host to reproduce. The statement is True.

Question 9:

Viruses can target a wide range of hosts, including plants (e.g., tobacco mosaic virus), bacteria (bacteriophages), and fungi, not just animals. So the statement is False.

Answer:

1.

No, viruses are not considered living organisms. They do not possess all the characteristics of life (e.g., they are not made of cells, cannot reproduce independently, and do not carry out metabolic processes).

2.

No, viruses are not considered to be cells. Cell theory states that the cell is the smallest living unit, all living things are made of cells, and all cells come from pre - existing cells. Viruses lack a cellular structure and do not meet the criteria of cell theory (e.g., they cannot reproduce on their own in the way cells do), so they would not be included in these cell theory statements.

3.

• Differences: Cells are the basic unit of life with a cellular structure, can reproduce independently, and perform metabolic functions. Viruses have no cellular structure, cannot reproduce independently, and do not perform metabolic functions.
• Similarities: Both contain genetic material (DNA or RNA) and proteins. Both can evolve and can cause disease in their hosts.

4.

False. Antibiotics target bacterial processes or structures (e.g., cell wall synthesis, bacterial ribosomes). Viruses do not have bacterial - like structures or processes, so antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.

5.

True.

6.

False. Prokaryotes are cells (e.g., bacteria, archaea) with a cellular structure (though lacking a nucleus). Viruses are not cells at all, so they cannot be prokaryotes.

7.

True.

8.

True.

9.

False. Viruses can infect a variety of hosts, including plants (e.g., tobacco mosaic virus), bacteria (bacteriophages), and fungi, not just animals.