1. Below, the three essential features of all living organisms are listed:

i. All living organisms can store and transmit information needed for growth, function, and reproduction.

ii. All living organisms have a membrane that separates the living material within the cell from the nonliving environment.

iii. All living organisms can harness energy from the environment using metabolic reactions.

Are viruses are living or non-living? Justify your answer by describing in detail whether viruses possess each of the features stated above. [10 pts]

For me viruses are living organisms, they maybe are not complete living organisms and have perfected parasitism, but they still have characteristics that separate them from non-living things.

i. All viruses have a genetic information stored in some form of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA). The information they carry does not have all essential genes for their survival and replication.

ii. Viruses have coat that give the shape of the virus, separate, and protect their genetic information from outside environment. The coat isn’t phospholipid bilayer and can’t perform any function except encapsulating the genetic information.

iii. The only clear thing that separate viruses from other living organisms is that they cannot harvest energy or perform any metabolic function on their own. They are dependent on host’s metabolism, enzymes and energy.

2. Life on Earth could not exist without water. Describe the properties of water that explain the phenomena described below.

2a. Describe why substances like sugar dissolve quickly in water. [3 pts]

The molecule of water is a strong dipole and because of the polarization, it easily can form hydrogen bonds.

1. Below, the three essential features of all living organisms are...