Question

4. Viruses have some of the properties of living organisms. Which of the following is a characteristic of living organisms, but not of viruses?

A. genetic information stored as nucleic acid

B. ability to control metabolism

C. ability to reproduce on its own

D. structure includes proteins

E. plasma membrane or coat

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. ability to reproduce on its own.

A. Living organism and virus both have thier genetic material. Single stranded or double stranded DNA and RNA are found in both living organisms and viruses.

B. Living organisms control thier own metabolism in the form of catabolic and anabolic reactions. Virus on the other hand virus being non living particles do not have own metabolism but they can control cellular metabolism on entry to the cell.

C. Living organisms have their own methods of sexual and asexual reproduction. Thus they can reproduce of their own. But virus being non living cannot reproduce own thier own. They can replicate only after infecting a suitable host cell.

D. Living organism have varied types of protiens present throughout the body structure. Even viruses have a protein coat to sheild the viral genetic material.

E. Every cell of a living organism weather somatic or germinal does consist of a cell covering known as plasma membrane. Even virus also has protien coat known as Capsid.

Thus option A, B, D and E are wrong options cause they are common feature between living organism and virus.