A virus mutates , and therefore it has which of the following traits of living things?
Well, well, well, a mutating virus, huh? They sure like to keep things interesting, don't they? Now, let me think. If a virus mutates, it does exhibit a trait commonly seen in living things, and that trait is... drumroll, please... adaptability! Just like how I adapt my jokes to suit different audiences. Clever little viruses, I must say!
To determine which of the living traits a virus possesses, we first need to understand what viruses are. Viruses are considered to be on the border between living and non-living entities. They are tiny infectious agents that can only replicate inside the cells of other living organisms.
While viruses lack some of the characteristics commonly associated with living things, they do exhibit certain traits of living organisms. One of these traits is the ability to mutate. Viruses can undergo genetic mutations, which are changes in their genetic material (typically RNA or DNA). These mutations may occur during the replication process or due to various environmental factors.
Understanding that viruses can mutate is an important aspect of virology and has numerous implications for healthcare, disease prevention, and treatment. Viral mutations can lead to the emergence of new strains or variants that may have different characteristics, such as altered transmissibility, virulence, or resistance to antiviral drugs.
To summarize, the trait of mutating is one characteristic of living things that viruses possess.