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Viruses are intermediate between living ...

Viruses are intermediate between living and non-living entities. They resemble living in :

A

having high specific gravity

B

presence of energy storing system

C

presence of growth and division

D

taking over biosynthetic machinery of host cell

Text Solution

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The correct Answer is:
**Step-by-Step Solution:** 1. **Understanding Viruses**: Begin by recognizing that viruses are unique entities that do not fit neatly into the categories of living or non-living. They exhibit characteristics of both. 2. **Non-Living Characteristics**: Identify the non-living characteristics of viruses: - They do not have a cellular structure (non-cellular organization). - They are inactive outside of a host organism. - They do not carry out respiration or cellular metabolism when not inside a host. 3. **Living Characteristics**: Next, consider the characteristics that resemble living organisms: - Viruses have a high specific gravity. - They possess an energy-storing system when inside a host. - They can grow and divide, but only by taking over the machinery of a host cell. 4. **Biosynthetic Machinery**: Emphasize that viruses replicate by hijacking the biosynthetic machinery of the host cell. This is a key feature that aligns them more closely with living organisms when they are inside a host. 5. **Conclusion**: Conclude that viruses are considered intermediate between living and non-living entities primarily because they can take over the host's biosynthetic machinery to reproduce, which is a characteristic of living organisms. **Final Answer**: Viruses resemble living entities in that they take over the biosynthetic machinery of the host cell. ---
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