Table of Contents
What can only reproduce inside other living things?
A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea.
Can only grow and replicate only within a living cell?
Because of these limitations, viruses can replicate only within a living host cell. Therefore, viruses are obligate intracellular parasites. According to a stringent definition of life, they are nonliving.
Can bacteria only grow in another living cell?
They aren’t even a full cell. They are simply genetic material (DNA or RNA) packaged inside of a protein coating. They need to use another cell’s structures to reproduce. This means they can’t survive unless they’re living inside something else (such as a person, animal, or plant).
What can live and reproduce by taking over other cells?
Viruses are microscopic biological agents that invade living hosts and infect their bodies by reproducing within their cell tissue. Viruses are tiny infectious agents that rely on living cells to multiply. They may use an animal, plant, or bacteria host to survive and reproduce.
Where does a cell spend most of its time before it divides?
Before a cell starts dividing, it is in the “Interphase.” It seems that cells must be constantly dividing (remember there are 2 trillion cell divisions in your body every day), but each cell actually spends most of its time in the interphase.
What do you call an organism that is trying to live?
We normally think of pathogens in hostile terms—as invaders that attack our bodies. But a pathogen or a parasite, like any other organism, is simply trying to live and procreate.
When do sperm and egg cells join to create a new organism?
After meiosis, the sperm and egg cells can join to create a new organism. Meiosis is why we have genetic diversity in all sexually reproducing organisms. During meiosis, a small portion of each chromosome breaks off and reattaches to another chromosome.
How are microorganisms able to survive in the environment?
Because they reproduce so quickly, microorganisms can assemble in enormous numbers with great variety in their communities. If their environment suddenly changes, the community’s genetic variations make it more likely that some will survive.