What contains genetic material but is not classified as living?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about entities that possess genetic material, such as DNA or RNA, but are not considered living organisms. This typically refers to viruses, which carry genetic information and can replicate in host cells but do not exhibit characteristics of life independently.
Answer
viruses
The final answer is viruses
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is viruses
More Information
Viruses contain genetic material (either DNA or RNA) but are not considered living organisms because they lack a cellular structure and cannot reproduce on their own.
Tips
A common mistake is thinking viruses are living because they have genetic material, but they lack other key characteristics of life.
Sources
- What contains genetic material but is not classified as living? - manoa.hawaii.edu
- 7.7: Virus Characteristics - Biology LibreTexts - bio.libretexts.org
- Are viruses dead or alive? (article) - Khan Academy - khanacademy.org
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