Is a virus dead or alive? why?

when the virus isn't in a body ,it's dead but when it enter the body it's become alive

It depends on which scientist you speak to.
A virus is made up of Nucleic Acids (DNA and RNA), and has genes; although they are not made of cells, which contradicts the cell theory, where every living thing is made of cells.
They also do not reproduce through mitosis, but instead, spontaneously assemble.
Some forms of viruses, like bacterial viruses are definitely living.

Kind of an on the fence answer. But I don't have a definite one.

They can qualify to be both dead and alive because they can live for years and years untill they
reactivate again.they are essentially dead until they find a host cell to depend on for their live part of their life cycle.

Support for the idea that viruses are not living:
1. they can not reproduce on their own - they require the cellular machinery of their host
2. they do not grow or take up nutrients
3. no cellular respiration (i.e. they don't make ATP)


Support for ideas that they're living:
1. they can mutate
2. they have a genetic instruction manual (not very strong)
3. they respond to the environment, assuming you consider a host population to be their environment

So, what do you think?

A virus is dead in or out of the body. For something that is alive it must have a cell structure and a virus doesn't. They also don't reproduce as such or take part in division and they don't intake nutrients like a true cell.

A virus depends on a living body for its replication.. So virus can be considered as an inanimate object!

I virus can be living with in you but out side the body im not sure.

All Living things:
-are composed of cells with a complex, organized structure
-actively maintain their complex structure and internal environment (homeostasis)
-respond to stimuli in their environment
-acquire and use materials and energy from their environment and convert them into new forms
 -reproduce, using the molecular blueprint of DNA
-have the capacity to evolve

Viruses:
-are not made of cells and do not have cells
-cannot accomplish the basic tasks of living cells
-have no ribosomes to make protein
-have no cytoplasm
-cannot acquire energy or steal the host's energy
-cannot grow or reproduce by themselves or with other viruses
-do not respond to stimuli
-cannot maintain a stable internal environment
-can evolve