Question

Write the characteristics of viruses.

Answer 1

Hint: Viruses are agents that are contagious and also called pathogens. When viruses are compared to bacteria in shape and population, the virus can spread rapidly and smaller than bacteria. There are many ways like exposure to the infected blood, sneezing, and coughing through which viruses can spread easily. The only area where a virus can be reproduced is inside the living cell of the host like a plant, human, or animal.

Complete answer:
Let us discuss the characteristics of viruses. Viruses have various characteristics as mentioned below:
> Viruses when compared to bacteria are smaller in size and simpler.
> The virus cannot be seen by the naked eye. Only under an electron microscope, they can be visible as they are ultramicroscopic.
> Virus kind of is considered to specifically be on the boundary line of living and non-living things, which essentially is quite significant.
> The virus cannot live on their own as the virus are obligate parasites.
> The virus cannot double or multiply their population on their own. For a virus to multiply they need to live machinery.
> The genetic material called DNA and RNA in the virus are protected by a layer of protein called a capsid. This protective layer is surrounded by the genetic material.
> For any dreadful diseases in humans, animals, and plants virus is the one responsible for the cause of diseases.

Note:
Nonliving characteristics of viruses include the fact that viruses essentially are not cells, literally viruses have no cytoplasm or cellular organelles, and viruses carry out no metabolism on their own and so they must replicate using the host cell’s metabolic machinery.