Soru

Read the following two passages regarding the biological classification of viruses.

Passage A
The debate over the biological status of viruses often hinges on an antiquated, binary definition of life. While it is true that viruses are obligate intracellular parasites—meaning they cannot replicate or perform metabolic functions outside a host cell—this dependence does not strip them of their biological nature. Viruses possess genetic material (DNA or RNA), they adapt to their environments, and they undergo Darwinian evolution. If we view life not as a rigid checklist of features, but as a continuum of biological complexity, viruses clearly fall on the spectrum of living organisms. Their capacity to evolve and direct the machinery of a host cell demonstrates that they are much more than inert chemical compounds.

Passage B
To classify viruses as living organisms is to blur the crucial boundary between complex chemistry and true biology. A fundamental hallmark of life is independent metabolism—the ability to capture and utilize energy to sustain cellular processes. Viruses lack not only cellular structure but also the metabolic machinery necessary for self-sustenance and independent replication. They are, essentially, highly structured biochemical packages that remain entirely inert until they happen to interact with a suitable host cell. Therefore, while their genetic material allows them to be incorporated into a host's evolutionary trajectory, viruses themselves are not alive. They are more accurately categorized alongside complex organic molecules rather than biological organisms.

Based on the passages, match each statement to the authors' respective stances.