A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of an organism. It consists of genetic material, either DNA or RNA, wrapped in a protein coat called a capsid. Some viruses also have an outer envelope made of lipids.
Viruses are not considered living organisms because they cannot reproduce on their own and lack many of the essential characteristics of life, such as metabolism and the ability to maintain homeostasis. Instead, they rely on the host cell’s machinery to replicate and spread.
When a virus infects a host cell, it inserts its genetic material into the cell’s DNA, hijacking the cell’s machinery to produce new virus particles. The new virus particles then exit the host cell and can infect other cells in the organism, or be transmitted to other organisms.
Viruses can cause a wide range of diseases in humans, animals, and plants, including the common cold, influenza, and HIV/AIDS.
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