Is a virus alive?

[Dr E. Buxbaum]

"R. BAKER" <rubaker at nmsu.edu> wrote:
>Is a virus a living organism or not????  It can reproduce but must rely 
>on the host cell and the host cell's metabolism?  What constitutes a 
>virus as alive or non-living?

Nop, it can NOT reproduce. It can only make cells to reproduce it, which 
is a fundamental difference. Viruses also lack metabolism, another of the 
characteristics of live.