What charateristics of life do viruses lack?

Viruses lack several key characteristics of life.

Here are some of the key characteristics of life that viruses lack:

1. Cellular structure: Viruses are not made of cells, the basic unit of life. Instead, they are made of a protein coat that encloses a core of genetic material.

2. Metabolism: Viruses cannot metabolize nutrients or convert energy. They rely on host cells to provide them with the energy and nutrients they need to replicate.

3. Growth: Viruses do not grow in the same way that living organisms grow. Instead, they replicate by making copies of themselves inside host cells.

4. Reproduction: Viruses cannot reproduce on their own. They must infect a host cell in order to replicate.

5. Response to stimuli: Viruses do not respond to stimuli in the same way that living organisms do. They cannot move or sense their environment.

6. Adaptation: Viruses do not evolve in the same way that living organisms do. Instead, they mutate randomly, and some of these mutations may give them an advantage in infecting certain host cells.

Overall, viruses lack many of the key characteristics of life, which is why they are considered to be non-living entities.