The Virus Debate

            Introduction: As science progresses, so does our understanding of the word around us. Most importantly, our understanding of germs and the like grows. That is the focus of this interview: to diagnose what normal college students understand about viruses. These organisms pose great threats to our health, and in these interviews we will discover the varying levels of their understanding. Three students were asked the question: “Are viruses living things?” The answers to these questions, along with my explanation of the correct answer, will be provided in the manner in which they were asked. A brief paragraph containing the conceptual base for my explanations will follow the interview.

Question: Do you think viruses are living or non-living and why?

Answer 1: Viruses are living organisms. I believe this because they actively seek out new cells to infect. That is why viruses like AIDS are extremely difficult to cure. It is also the reason the flu is so widespread.

Answer2: Yes, they are living. I can only draw my conclusions on what I have seen on TV and the internet in the form of animations or an artist’s rendering.

Answer 3: No, viruses are not technically living. They do not possess the necessary processes to consider them living beings.

My Explanation:

The world of science cannot yet determine whether viruses are living beings or not. Viruses are not, nor do they contain cells as we commonly understand them to be. Rather, they are pieces of DNA or RNA protected by a protein called a capsid. Viruses can be a thousand times smaller than the bacteria one can see in a microscope. One could lean toward saying that viruses are non-living because they require no energy to run metabolic processes. Yet, viruses continue to thrive, as natural selection promotes the survival of successful viruses. Often, they are described as types of parasites because they need host cells to replicate. This process of replication is the means by which a virus extends its “life”. In replication, a virus will use the cells of, say, your stomach to copy its genetic code. This is an extremely effective means of ensuring the survival of the viral strain. In addition, viruses do not consume, and therefore do not have metabolisms.

            Much of the confusion lies in the fact that viruses are products of genetic code and can manipulate their own codes in order to survive in different environments. The speed and efficiency with which this is done varies from strain to strain. In sum, viruses flirt with the characterization of “living” and there is no concrete answer to date.

Summary:

            My interviews presented me with a somewhat surprising conclusion. Of the three students questioned, two believed that viruses were living, or were closer to living, than they were to non-living. What is most surprising to me is that even with unthinkable amounts of research and experimentation, even science provides no clear answer. I understand that science is not always going to have the answers we seek, but by virtue of science being science, perhaps someday it will. The first student's ability to identify characteristics that identify viruses as living is indicative of some basic understanding of how viruses operate. In sum, my finding s show me that your average college student, or at least two out of three, does not possess a conceptual understanding of how viruses work.

Conceptual Base: Viruses are very complex organisms. They are not alive and are not made of cells, but they still function and thrive. Viruses do not reproduce, but rather replicate using the cells of the infected host. In a more scientific lens, viruses are either pieces of DNA or RNA protected by a protein coat, called a capsid. In addition, viruses do not have metabolisms and largely cannot adapt to sudden stimuli. There are no life cycles, just replication and infection. In sum, viruses are “living” organisms whose singular purpose is the infection of cells in order to further spread strains of the virus.

-All information provided in this report was found at http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/PB291X1web.pdf.