Question

Choose the correct option.

Assertion: Viruses are classified as living organism.

Reason: They have very simple, cellular structure and cannot exist independently.

• A. Both Assertion and Reason are correct and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.
  
• B. Both Assertion and Reason are correct. But Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion.
• C. Both Assertion and Reasons are incorrect.
• D. The Assertion is incorrect but Reason is correct.
  

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Both Assertion and Reasons are incorrect.

Viruses are intracellular obligate parasites. They comprise of genetic material (DNA/RNA) enclosed within a proteinaceous coat. They are inactive when they are outside a host. When they enter the host cell, they become active. They use the host machinery to replicate and create new viruses. Since they are dead outside and alive when inside the host, they are not classified as living organisms.