1. Like living things, viruses have genetic material and 2. viruses can evolve.
- Viruses share many genes with their host cells. Viruses are dependent on living organisms, which lead to some living characteristics - they can reproduce/replicate in living host cells, mutate, appear in different strains, and have unique genetic material. However, viruses are classified as not living things because they can’t carry out the necessary processes that meet all requirements for the classification of a living thing. They do NOT undergo respiration and cannot generate energy needed to survive on its own, but viruses *do* share a few features with living things.
