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Why are viruses not classified as microorganisms?
Viruses fall in the category of microorganisms or not, it’s still a topic of debate. Microorganisms or microbes are living organisms that are microscopic, which means too small to see with the naked eye. These may exist in its single-celled form or in a colony of cells. They are unicellular organisms. Microorganisms don’t have an organized nucleus sometimes and sometimes it does. According to the classification of microorganisms, there are 5 types of microorganisms: 1. Bacteria 2. Virus 3. Algae 4. Fungi 5. Protozoa On the other hand, unlike bacteria, viruses are acellular particles (meaning they aren't made up of living cells like plants and animals are). It consists instead of a central core of either DNA or RNA surrounded by a coating of protein. Viruses also lack the properties of living things: They have no energy metabolism, they do not grow, they produce no waste products, and they do not respond to stimuli. They also don't reproduce independently but must replicate by invading living cells. Viruses are also not classified as living because they have no energy metabolism, they do not grow, they produce no waste products, they cannot replicate DNA or RNA without a host and do not have metabolism without a host. But they can be also classified as a living organism because they have life cycles. So, from the above explanation, we can conclude that viruses can exhibit the characteristics of both living and nonliving things. When they are outside a cell, they are inactive. But when they come in contact with a suitable plant, animal or bacteria, they show up the characteristics of a living organism.
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