Chapter 1 - The Main Themes of Microbiology - Critical Thinking Questions - Bloom's Levels 3, 4, and 5: Apply, Analyze, and Evaluate - Page 24: 1

Some scientists think that viruses are living organisms as they have genetic material and cause diseases. However some think that they are not living organisms. An argument to refute the claim that they are living organisms can be: "The viruses cannot replicate on their on and they need a host organism for this purpose"

As above.