A virus mutates, and therefore it has which of the following traits of living things?(1 point)
Responses
It uses energy.
It uses energy.
It evolves.
It evolves.
It is made of cells.
It is made of cells.
It grows and develops.
It grows and develops.
It reproduces and displays heredity.
The correct answer is: It evolves.
To determine which of the given traits of living things a virus possesses, we need to understand what each trait means and how it applies to viruses.
1. Uses energy: Living organisms require energy to carry out their biological functions. While viruses cannot generate energy on their own, they do utilize energy when they infect a host cell and replicate their genetic material. Therefore, a virus does use energy.
2. Evolves: Evolution refers to the process of genetic change over time in populations of organisms. Viruses are known to undergo frequent and rapid mutations, which can lead to changes in their genetic material. These mutations allow viruses to adapt to new environments and evade host immune systems, which is considered a form of evolution. Therefore, a virus does evolve.
3. Made of cells: Cells are the basic building blocks of life, consisting of a complex structure with various organelles. Unlike bacteria, plants, or animals, viruses lack cells. They are acellular particles that consist mainly of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat. Therefore, a virus is not made of cells.
4. Grows and develops: Growth and development refer to the increase in size and complexity of an organism over time. However, viruses do not grow or develop in the same way as living organisms. They do not undergo cell division or increase in size on their own. Instead, viruses replicate by hijacking the cellular machinery of a host organism. Therefore, a virus does not grow and develop.
Based on the given traits, a virus possesses two out of four traits of living things: it uses energy and it evolves. However, it does not have the traits of being made of cells or growing and developing.