From: "Geo." 

"John Beckett"  wrote
in message news:3ef6c1c0.5186067{at}216.144.1.254...

> To me, the principle argument in favour of the "a virus is not alive"
> argument is the observation that all living things consist of groups of
> co-operating cells. A virus is not even one cell. Instead, a virus is a
> complex molecule that has the trick of entering certain kinds of cells and
> causing the cell to make copies of the virus.

That's a good argument, but I counter with this, name something that isn't
alive that has it's own DNA. I mean instead of trying to define life, look
for something that all living things have in common and all inorganic
matter has in common, that difference is DNA isn't it?

I'll use the example of fire again, it feeds, it breaths, it reproduces,
but it has no DNA so it's not alive. DNA is the key.

Geo.

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