Why Are Viruses Important?

Start with a some DNA, or RNA if you are so inclined, mix in a simple matrix, fold the mixture into a protein coat, and pour into a plasma membrane. Could this be the recipe for elementary life? Viruses are one of the simplest forms of organized organic material to arise in evolution. They are infamously the most efficient at reproducing while simultaneously eliminating competition which are two of the most fundamental characteristics of life. Despite these remarkable abilities, most biologists are in agreement that these simple structures are in no way living. I would disagree with this statement.
When first approaching this problem, many would first try and define life. This only serves to further complicate the issue. One of the simplest
definitions of life identifies the ability of a living organism to take in energy from its surroundings in order to grow, reproduce, respond to their environment, and reach homeostasis. When we place these distinct criteria on what is living, we only give the illusion of understanding. These definitions are successful in discerning between living and nonliving, but only based on the limited information that they provide. For example, if asked is a crystal alive, most people will quickly say no, but crystals, in some way, grow, reproduce, respond to their environment and reach a degree of homeostasis yet they are universally considered nonliving. This relates to how our own experience of life convolutes the ability to discriminate between abiotic and biotic factors. Since we are self aware and conscious organisms, our own sense of life clouds our judgement. The problem with this is that the simplest forms of life, being cells, are not self aware. In order to solve this dilemma, I believe in looking at life wholistically for each organism individually instead of trying to generate vague similarities that apply to all living things. For the case of viruses, this means cross examining what seems to imply it is alive and what seems to imply it is not. There are two main arguments as to why viruses are nonliving.
One of these arguments involve a state known as a virion. A virion is a dormant state that the virus is in when there are no cells around to utilize. During this state, the virion does not grow or reproduce, but remains in equilibrium until their is a cell that it can infect. While many use this as a reason for why viruses are nonliving, I would say just the opposite. The fact that viruses become dormant virions when there are no cells nearby demonstrates an ability to recognize conditions which allow them to reproduce and grow so that they can take advantage of them. The second argument involves a virus’s metabolic processes. Viruses are unable to metabolize on their own and instead use the mitochondria of cells to do it for them. The weakness of this argument lies in the cells, not the viruses. When examining the organelles of cells, microbiologists have discovered that the mitochondria contain their own set of genetic DNA. This has been explained using the concept of coevolution. In this process, two organisms respond to one another's strength and weaknesses in order to further their ability to survive and reproduce. It is theorized that mitochondria were originally separate organisms that evolved with cells in order to benefit each other. The mitochondria produce energy for the cell and the cell reproduces itself and the mitochondria. This concept can also be applied to viruses, but in terms of a parasitic relationship. Viruses evolved without the ability to metabolize because, as long as there are cells, it is not necessary for their
survival. The final argument that seems to point to a virus being alive is something I call a propensity for order. While this isn’t something which has been attributed to life, I believe it is one of the most crucial parts of living organisms. According to the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy of a system will increase or stay the same, but will not decrease. Organisms seem to act in a way which tends towards the latter. For example, as humans, most people have a natural repulsion towards death. Many of us have thought about the possibility of immortality, but that idea is simply impossible. As the universe continues to progress, entropy increases and we approach the death of all planets, stars and galaxies. Despite this inevitability, life continues to progress in a fashion which suggests that they instinctually work against this in attempts to remain in a constant and stable state where entropy remains constant. For example, in most animals with a complex peripheral nervous system, there are two divisions known as the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These antagonists work in conjunction to keep the body functioning at equilibrium. During times of high stress, the sympathetic nervous system works to keep us fighting to return to a set point. During times of low or no stress, the parasympathetic nervous system keeps us functioning at that set point. This tendency towards homeostatic balance demonstrates this propensity for order. While viruses do not possess a complex nervous system, they do function in a way which indicates this. Anatomically, a virus consists of a membrane, a protein coat, and a set of genetic information. Before a virion even becomes active, this structure suggests that the virus is working to remain in an idealized state until it can reproduce. Once the virion becomes an active virus, its consistent cycle for reproduction also implies this tendency.