Question

Are viruses microbes?

Answer 1

Hint: Millions of these microbes, also known as microorganisms, live in the human body. Some microbes make us sick, while others are beneficial to our health. Bacteria and fungi are the most common types. Protozoa are another type of microbe.

Complete answer:
Viruses are microscopic, non-cellular infectious agents that can only replicate within a host cell. Viruses cannot be classified as either living or non-living organisms from a biological standpoint. This is due to the fact that they share certain distinguishing characteristics of both living organisms and nonliving entities.

Viruses are acellular microorganisms, which means they lack cells. A virus is made up of proteins and genetic material—either DNA or RNA, but never both—that are inactive outside of a host organism.
A virus is a non-cellular, infectious entity composed of genetic material and protein that can only invade and reproduce within the living cells of bacteria, plants, and animals. A virus, for example, cannot replicate outside of the host cell. This is due to viruses lacking the necessary cellular machinery. As a result, it enters and attaches itself to a specific host cell, injects its genetic material, reproduces using the host genetic material, and finally splits open, releasing the new viruses.

Thus, viruses are microbes.

Note: Viruses are extremely small, ranging in size from 30 to 50 nm. They typically lack a cell wall but are encased in a protective protein coating known as the capsid. It is characterized by the combined evolution of the virus and the host and can be viewed as a genetic element. They have either RNA or DNA as genetic material.