Questions: Question 35 (1.052 points) Rather than to argue that a virus is "alive," it is preferred to say a virus is . a) active b) weak c) attenuated d) abiotic

Transcript text: Question 35 (1.052 points) Listen Rather than to argue that a virus is "alive," it is preferred to say a virus is $\qquad$ . a) active b) weak c) attenuated d) abiotic

Solution

The answer is the first one (a): active.

Explanation for each option:

a) Active: This is the correct choice. Viruses are often described as "active" when they are capable of infecting a host cell and replicating. This term is used instead of "alive" because viruses do not exhibit all the characteristics of life independently; they require a host to reproduce.

b) Weak: This term is not typically used to describe viruses in the context of whether they are "alive" or not. "Weak" might refer to a virus's reduced ability to cause disease, but it does not address the fundamental nature of a virus.

c) Attenuated: This term refers to a virus that has been weakened, often for use in vaccines, so it does not cause disease. It is not used to describe the general state of a virus in terms of being "alive."

d) Abiotic: This term means non-living and is used to describe things that are not derived from living organisms. While viruses are not considered fully living organisms, "abiotic" is not the preferred term in this context.

In summary, the preferred term to describe a virus, rather than saying it is "alive," is "active."

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