Are viruses life?

I always learned that viruses are most likely degenerate versions of living organisms that have lost the ability to carry out most functions for themselves as they began to rely more and more on their hosts. You see this trend in most parasites. So no, they aren't fully "living" any more in that they carry out no metabolic activities of their own, but their ancestors probably once were. If life could evolve from non-living antecedents, there's no reason why it can't work the other way, too. After all, the life processes of living things are simply a support mechanism for the DNA and RNA they carry, a way to temporarily protect them from the elements and from entropy and provide a means of replicating that genetic material. The living parts aren't actually the whole point of the exercise in that scenario -- they're just a helpful adjunct.

uriel are you a biologist?

The opinion stated Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:26 pm GMT seems to be rather narrow-minded.

Nah. But I like biology.

Who doesn't?

Creationists and others of a religiously literal bent.