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Using the MRS GREN acronym, explain why viruses are not considered living organisms.

Question

Using the MRS GREN acronym, explain why viruses are not considered living organisms.

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Solution

The MRS GREN acronym stands for Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, and Nutrition. These are the seven life processes that determine whether something is considered a living organism.

  1. Movement: Viruses do not have the ability to move on their own. They are transported by the organisms they infect.

  2. Respiration: Viruses do not respire. They do not have the structures necessary to perform this function, such as mitochondria.

  3. Sensitivity: Viruses do not respond to stimuli in their environment. They do not have the necessary structures to do so.

  4. Growth: Viruses do not grow. Once a virus is formed, it remains the same size.

  5. Reproduction: Viruses cannot reproduce on their own. They need to infect a host cell and use the host's machinery to replicate.

  6. Excretion: Viruses do not excrete waste. They do not have the structures necessary to perform this function.

  7. Nutrition: Viruses do not eat or take in nutrients. They are not made up of cells and do not have a metabolism to process nutrients.

Therefore, because viruses do not perform any of the seven life processes outlined in the MRS GREN acronym, they are not considered living organisms.

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