State of a Virus Discussion

By itself, a virus cannot reproduce, grow and develop, respond to stimuli, take in material and energy from the environment, nor show any adaptation. However, it is organized with a protein coat that surrounds hereditary material and once inside another living cell the virus takes over the host’s metabolic machinery in order to grow, develop, and reproduce new virus particles. Therefore, is the virus a living or dead organism?  Explain your answer.